warriors: last clan part 1: the darkness...

Special Edition

The Last Clan

By Marissa NealOriginal Warriors Series by Erin Hunter

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WARRIORS: Last Clan Part 1: The Darkness Returns

PrologueA half-moon floated in the night, star filled sky. A cool breeze rippled the

surface of a pool below, reflecting the moon’s light and scattering it on the leaves of surroundings trees and ferns. Ancient pawsteps imprinted the ground of a worn out path, following under an old bramble bush. Beyond the trail stood a large tower of gray rocks turned to sparkling silver by the moon. Pebbles fell from the side of the tower, and a pair of eyes glittered in the darkness.

A gray tabby clambered her way down the rocks, sniffing the fresh air that hit her nose from the pool. Her paws slid into those of her past as she headed down the dirt path leading to the pool. More cats came from behind her, another being a gray tabby with jay feather blue eyes. Each cat had a different scent to them: the gray tabby she-cat smelled of reeds and water; the tom scented of trees and squirrel; a mottled gray tom had the fresh scent of the moors and wind; and the last of the arrivers stunk of the foul scent of crow-food and swamp.

The fours cats crawled under the brambles and stopped at the glistening pool’s edge, nodding hello to each other silently. The tabby she-cat recently remembered her last visit here, before a great battle had started. She and the others hadn’t met for a long time, thinking that they had needed to go their separate ways and stop meeting, but it was meant for these cats to meet in peace and talk with their ancestors. The hardships of the past days were over.

The gray tabby she-cat laid herself beside the pool of water filled with starlight. The others followed and slowly lapped at the water before resting their heads down for a peaceful nap. Once the others were sleeping soundly, walking with their ancestors, she too, rested down and dreamt.

The tabby opened her eyes as the scent of her home hit her nose. She lifted her head and let out a long, welcoming purr as the stars around her swirled through her fur. She stood up, her tail flicking happily, watching the stars come together and form shapes; the shapes of her ancestors.

The first to appear into her sight was an unusually spotted she-cat, her fur sparkling with starlight, and her amber eyes reflecting the sky. “Welcome, Willowshine. We are glad you were able to make it tonight,” the spotted cat purred. The spotted she-cat walked up to Willowshine and gave the tabby a lick on the cheek.

“You know I would never miss a chance to speak to Starclan, Leopardstar,” Willowshine answered softly, her light blue eyes blinking innocently. “Is all going well here in Starclan?”

Leopardstar bowed her head. “Starclan has never been better. The prey has returned, and so has the forever greenleaf. There has been no sight of the evil cats we all fought only a couple moons ago and we have been happily at peace.”

Willowshine remembered that the last time she had been here, the branches of the trees were bare of leaves, and the cats of Starclan had grown skinny from the loss of prey. Back before the great battle, she could feel the evil clouding the starlight place, now, it was peaceful and quiet once again.“So has Riverclan,” Willowshine told the leader. “Do you have any signs or news to share with me, Leopardstar?”

The old leader lifted her head and looked into the eyes of the Riverclan healer. “I just wish to make sure my kits are safe.”

The bushes rustled that surrounded the clearing and more cats began to fill in around Willowshine and the Starclan leader. One cat stepped away from the filling circle and flicked his tail. His pelt shimmered blue-gray as he shook his head and weaved around the two she-cats.

“You know, Leopardstar, you should put more trust into your Clan and your healer,” the tom chuckled. “Why don’t you tell Willowshine what’s really on your mind?” The blue-gray cat stopped and stared at his old leader with dark blue eyes, urging her to tell the truth.

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“First, I have complete trust in my old Clan and Clanmates, Stonefur,” Leopardstar snorted, turning her head away, “Just as I had complete trust in you and Mistystar during the time of Tigerstar.”

Stonefur shrugged his shoulders. “You do have a point,” he mewed, “but that doesn’t mean you should hide anything from the Clan. Starclan made that mistake before, now haven’t we?”

Willowshine crouched down slightly and moved closer to her former leader. “Will you tell me what he means, Leopardstar?”

The old cat’s head was bowed once more, and a sigh was released from her clenched mouth. “There has been a vision of my kits’ destinies,” she started. As she continued, Leopardstar’s eyes became distant. “Fire and darkness rages through the lake territories and only one cat will take a risk and stop it all from becoming worse. Cats ran into the lake, some drowning, while others never make it away from the flames. Even though the fire has taken over the land, that single cat leaps in and pulls cats into the safety of the water. As the last cat flees, the hero never makes it back out. The flames die out soon after, and there the hero lies in the ashes.”

Willowshine swallowed, and then started breathing quickly. “What… what do you think it means?” she sputtered. “Is there another drought? Does lightning hit a dry patch of grass again? What causes it, Leopardstar? The Clan needs to know.”

“Willowshine, I just don’t know,” Leopardstar snapped suddenly, lashing out a paw and barely missing the tabby’s whiskers. “Starclan doesn’t know everything.” The leader’s lips were drawn back in a snarl and her hackles were rising high with anger.

Willowshine’s eyes grew big and she backed away a couple pawsteps. Normally Starclan cats were gentle and kind, but Leopardstar had seemed ready to attack Willowshine. “I’m sorry for asking for so much. But I want your opinion: what do you think it might mean?”

Leopardstar slid to the ground, and lay there on her stomach, staring out into the trees. “Natural disasters are not what the vision worries me about; it’s the fact that the hero on the ground was one of my daughters. I just can’t stand to see either of them get hurt, Willowshine.” She jumped to her paws and padded close to the healers’ face. “You need to keep them out of trouble, and make sure they don’t do anything that’ll harm them.”

Willowshine looked concerned, but that didn’t matter as much as the danger the Clan could be in. She just shook her head, and mewed, “I can’t just change the path of one’s destiny; only they can change and shape the outcome. What you saw was one of your daughters saving the lives of other cats, and if the Clans are in danger, she might bring them closer.”

“How is sacrifice bringing the Clans closer?” Leopardstar spat.Willowshine started when a deeper voice entered the conversation. “You

don’t see her point do you? But you are one of the younger members here, so I understand.”

Leopardstar’s hackles rose again, and her eyes closed to angered slits. “Are you criticizing me?” she snarled, spinning around, lashing out. She stopped mid-swipe as she almost clobbered a large, silvery-gray tom. She gasped, and, if a cat could, she would’ve turned red. Leopardstar bowed her head down, and breathed, “Riverstar, I’m so sorry.”

Riverstar, the first leader of Riverclan, chuckled, and had Leopardstar rise up. “Don’t be. You’re a mother fretting about the safety of her kits, but when their destinies call them, they will be warriors, not kits.” The first Riverclan leader then turned to the healer. “When the time comes, the one with the shaded heart will burst into flames and rise as one with the Clans. But beware, her destiny will bring great and dangerous power to the lake.”

Willowshine woke from her dream with Starclan. The other healers stirred beside her from around the Moonpool. Darkness crowded her and her fellow healers, the moon falling farther from the sky. Starlight was beginning to fade as the sun rose in the east, turning the sky into a gray dawn.

“Did Starclan share with you, Willowshine?” the gray tabby tom asked, his blind blue eyes looking straight at her. This tom was very special, once full of power to help save the Clans in the worst of all battles: Battle of the Dark Forest. He could walk in any cats’ dreams and could see in them while in reality he could not.

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“They did indeed, Jayfeather,” she mewed, blinking kindly at him. She remembered how, when they had been apprentices, when Jayfeather’s stubbornness would make her so unhappy with him. She chuckled at the memories, and turned towards the others. “I need to get back home quickly, and share what Starclan gave me and share that with Mistystar.”

“Mistystar!” Willowshine burst into her leader’s den. “Starclan has given me a new prophecy!”

The Riverclan leader snapped her head up, her blue eyes gazing interestingly at her Clan’s healer. “What was it about? Is there going to be trouble?”

The tabby healer lowered her eyes. “Unfortunately, in time there will be trouble to come.”

“I thought all our troubles would have disappeared after we beat the Dark Forest and the strongest of their cats,” she muttered with a sigh. “Who is it about this time, Willowshine?”

“Leopardstar’s two kits,” she answered happily. “I knew there was something special about them.”

Mistystar nodded her head. “Then let’s hope they fulfill their destinies.”Willowshine gritted her teeth but nodded in agreement. Mistystar waved her

tail for her to leave so that she could get back to resting. The tabby healer backed away, leaving the dark den and into the moonlight. She gazed up at the stars in worry, and pleaded to her ancestors, “Please don’t let their destinies destroy the Clan.”

Shadows prowled between the trees, eyes of green and gold glinting in the darkness. The moonlight from the half-moon didn’t penetrate through the leaves of greenleaf, making the forest pitch dark. Frogs croaked from the edges of the lake beyond the trees, and crickets sang in the distance.

A pair of green eyes lit up from around black fur. The black tom lifted his head and gazed around as he and his comrades stood in a grassy clearing. They had traveled a long way from an old Twolegplace where his father had once reined strongly until his father was killed. Since then, the Clan his father had controlled had broken apart and now he was on his own with what ever cats he could take over.

A big, lion-like golden tom stepped up to the black tom. He shook his bushy neck, and snarled. “Is this the place?” he growled disgustedly.

The black tom flicked his eyes to the golden tom that served as his second in command. “It’s the best place to wait and watch.”

“For what?” a black-and-white tom snapped. “Do you honestly think that some dead cats can tell us how to receive power and respect?”

With teeth bared, the black tom whipped around and slashed out a paw, clawing down the cheek of the black-and-white cat. “The Dark Forest cats are very powerful themselves, and I will do all I can to follow in their pawsteps. My father is there, and he told me exactly what I needed to do.”

The golden tom snorted his tail tip flicking. “And what did daddy tell you?” he snickered, obviously not afraid of getting attacked by his leader. He watched the black-and-white tom wash away the blood welling on his cheek, shaking his head.

The black tom turned angrily to his deputy. “He told me to wait for the time of the shaded flower to come to us and help bring us power into our ranks, and then we can strike and take over the lake territories and never be defeated again!”

A ginger tom with one white paw stepped forward, his blue eyes piercingly icily into his leader’s fur. “And what if this is all a waste of our time?”

The black tom stared out into the trees, closing his eyes so that he disappeared into the darkness. “When the prophecy comes true, then we will hold time in our paws. With me, I don’t waste time, but use every second of it to my advantage.”

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Chapter 1Leader Mistystar-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice- FlorapawDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyesHealer Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice- Spottedpaw

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)Duskfur- brown she-cat with green eyesMinnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyesPebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- CherrypawStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesApprentice- SwiftpawRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyes

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Sheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyesMudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Apprentice- BrownpawIcewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesApprentice- BrookpawRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesApprentice- WhisperpawMossyfoot- brown-and-white she-catApprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Florapaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesSpottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesCherrypaw- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookpaw- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownpaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesWhisperpaw- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftpaw- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyesQueens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; expecting Reedwhisker’s kitsFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Nursing Rainclaw’s kits: Stormkit, Rainkit, Sharkkit, and SweetkitElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and SpottedpawMothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

The heat of the morning sunlight brightened up the day, and the sandy clearing of camp warmed up to where the elders could sleep peacefully outside their den. I walked into the camp with a mouse in my jaws, the smell of greenleaf

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mixing with my fresh-kill. The reeds surrounding the camp rippled in the soft breeze that blew in off the lake’s warm water. Clanmates hung over the edge of the lake and the streams, darting their paws in and out of the water, throwing fish out from the depths. Patrols went about their business keeping the borders safe, and the fresh-kill pile was full to the top. This was what the Clans liked to call greenleaf.

I crossed the sandy clearing of the Riverclan and padded t the prey pile. The hunting patrol I had been with had already placed their offerings on the top, where a dappled, golden she-cat, now flecked with gray, was already sniffing around for something to eat. I placed my mouse down in front of the elders’ nose, and pushed it towards her.

The elder looked up, her gold eyes kind. “Why thank you, youngster.” I dipped my head and watched as the elder trotted off towards the canopy of trees that covered the nests of the elders that were hidden by reeds and more reeds, the mouse clamped in her jaws. I smiled, knowing that our elders were healthy and happy ever since the horrible times only moons before.

I hid in the nursery with my sister, huddled up close next to our mother. Cats growled and cried outside as the once, dead, evil cats attacked the camp. Reedwhisker, our deputy guarded the nursery entrance, willing to give every bit of his life to keep the kits safe, but that was the warrior code we all followed: A warrior will protect and defend his Clan, even at the cost of his life.

I heard the commotion from the queens around me that some of Riverclan’s warriors were actually attacking their own Clanmates. It was a good thing that the other three Clans switched with some of our warriors so that we could help each other out.

It had been reported that there were three cats that held the powers of the stars in their paws. These cats were all the way in Thunderclan, all the way across the lake, and also there was a spy on the Dark Forest cats. The spy had found that the evil cats were going to attack the Clans in groups, and that our Clans needed to be able to exchange and help each other out. This had been the Thunderclan leader’s idea, of course, and as usual, the other Clans let him boss them around.

When the Dark Forest attacked, it had been sooner than last thought. They just appeared out of thin air, almost as soon as warriors from the other Clans got into our camp. A wave of blood seeking cats struck our warriors, landing on unsuspecting elders and kits. These evil cats had no sympathy for the old and weak, and just had the lust to kill and revenge. I didn’t know what their problem was, but how could I? I was only a kit.

Never once did an evil warrior try and attack the nursery. The queens were guarding it too heavily, and warriors of Riverclan clawed every single one that came even close to the den. One queen was brought down during a squabble, and my mother had to replace the open spot as warriors tried to help the already dying queen. I never heard such noises that came from a battling cat as she died to protect her kits. Her one kit, Swiftkit, coward close to me and my sister as we all grieved for the queen.

Screeches filled the air throughout the day. In and out my mother would come to check on us, and comfort Swiftkit, saying she would take care of him. He would have none of it, saying that he was almost an apprentice and could take care of himself. Even though I hated the furball, I felt bad for him since he lost his mother. He hid in the very back of the den, covering his ears with moss, trying to keep out all the noises.

Many cats died in this battle; the worst battle since the birth of the Clans. It was illogical how dead cats could even become solid again and be able to fight once more, but the Dark Forest rose up, attacked and killed. Our warriors found out from Thunderclan messengers that if you killed the Dark Forest cats, they would disappear forever, but that turned out to be the same for the Starclan cats that came to help their Clans. That was when I met my real mother: Leopardstar. She burst into the nursery, explained everything to my sister and I about why she wasn’t there for us. She told us that she had been old and weak when she gave birth to us, along with dealing with greencough. She died the night after we were born, just as she finished naming me.

When the battle was over, bodies of our Clanmates had to be collected, my once thought to be mother was gone, and Leopardstar returned to Starclan, and promised to watch over us. In the meantime, another one of the queens said she’d look after us until we’d become apprentices, and she did.

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It was a terrible way to start life in a Clan by seeing the battle rage between the Clans and Starclan, and the Dark Forest. But by watching and listening to parts of the battle from the nursery, it taught me to never back down, no matter what the situation will turn out to be. I have been dedicated to protecting my Clan ever since, and I would be until the day I made my journey to Starclan.

My day dreaming had caused me to stumble towards my old den: the nursery. I sighed, wishing I hadn’t been in this den when the battle had happened. Every kit’s wish is to be in the apprentices’ den, where I was now, and battle with their Clanmates, but I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have to fight, and was able to survive; others were not so lucky, and the apprentices’ den had become empty of cats until the current apprentices, Cherrypaw, Brookpaw, Brownpaw, Whisperpaw, stuck up Swiftpaw, and I had moved in. My sister would be with us as well, but she was somewhere a little bit safer.

The healers’ den; the place of disgusting herbs that surprisingly makes a cat feel better where every cat hated to visit, because otherwise it usually meant you were sick or hurt. I remember eating a bad mouse a few days ago and having to come and get some juniper berries to settle my complaining stomach, and they didn’t taste as good as some cats said they did. Ever since, I vowed to never have to come for herbs ever again.

My reasons of going were now only to see my sister, Spottedpaw. I looked over my shoulder and sighted her outside the den as I thought about how close we were. When we had been made apprentices, we hated the fact that we were getting separated, but it was what both of us wanted: her to become a healer, and I a warrior.

I left the nursery and my memories of it behind me and padded over to the healers’ den, which was a small underground cave with big cracks inside for placing herbs. The den was sort of made its way under the roots of a tree that grew right beside the lake. There was enough room to make nests for both Willowshine and her apprentice, but the healer got the nest in the far back of the den, while Spottedpaw was given the one near the entrance. Outside, Spottedpaw was sorting through piles of herbs and mumbling to herself, and then suddenly slapped the ground in anger with a paw.

I jumped forward and chuckled. “What did the ground do this time, sis? Did it spray dust on your pelt again?”

Spottedpaw rolled her eyes as usual, hating my lame jokes. “You know that it was you that had done that, not the ground,” she countered with a laugh. “Anyways, I’m trying to sort these herbs and I just can’t remember the names and uses for most of them.” She pounded the ground with her paws, and ended with her forehead pressed to the ground.

“Why don’t you ask Willowshine to go through them again?” I asked, sitting down beside my sister and tilting my head in confusion. I hated when I needed to come up with what she should or shouldn’t do, as if I was her mother or mentor.

Spottedpaw gritted her teeth, and leaped at me, pinning me to the ground with speed and strength that most healers didn’t have. “Florapaw, if she finds out that I forgot everything she taught me, she’d have my tail for sure.”

I sighed and relaxed underneath my sister’s paws. “You know that you make a big deal out of everything. You won’t know if she’ll have your tail until after you tell her. Won’t know the outcome until you try, and it might turn out good for all you know,” I added.

Spottedpaw slid off from me and helped me up with a slight, humored growl. “I hope you know that I hate when you are right.”

“Yeah, I know,” I smirked and pushed her towards the entrance to the healers’ den. “Now go find out what you need to know.”

She turned, hesitated at the entrance, and finally disappeared behind the dried reeds that hung over the opening from the top. No sooner was she back out again, scuffling through the herbs and picking out certain ones and placing them on a large dock leaf. “I remember what I needed for Blackclaw’s sore joints now!” With the dock leaf in her mouth, she sped away and disappeared into the elders’ den where I could hear the black elder complaining already.

I chuckled to myself and still wondered why Spottedpaw had ever wanted to become a healer apprentice in the first place. ‘I want to be able to heal instead of hurt,’ she had said when she had talked with Mistystar and Willowshine about it before we became apprentices. They agreed, but didn’t realize beforehand that my

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sister had a terrible memory for some things. I shook my head at that mistake and trotted back to the apprentices’ den, hoping to catch up on a small nap before training later with my mentor.

Just as I was about to push my way in through the brambles that made my current den, a blue-gray tail blocked my way. I turned around and smiled up at my mentor, and leader, Mistystar. Her blue eyes and pelt reminded me of all the stories she had told me about her mother, who Mistystar resembled so much after. What had been strange was that her mother was once a Thunderclan leader, her name being Bluestar. She had had three kits with a Riverclan tom that was named Oakheart. One of the kits, Mosskit, had died in a winter storm as Bluestar had taken them all to their father so they could be in Riverclan. It killed Bluestar for getting rid of them all from her life, but she had said that becoming deputy and then leader for her Clan was too important to the safety of Thunderclan. Oakheart died a little after Mistystar and her brother, Stonefur, had become warriors. Stonefur died, after his mother, killed by two cats called Blackfoot and Darkstripe. They were all under the control of an old Thunderclan cat called Tigerclaw, who became leader of Shadowclan and therefore becoming Tigerstar. Blackfoot soon become leader of Shadowclan, and became Blackstar, who recently lost his last life due to age. He had lost one of his other lives in the Great Battle, and ended with his last one. Darkstripe on the other hand had been killed and became part of the Dark Forest, only to be killed in the Great Battle forever.

I faced my mentor, waiting for her to say something. I felt like we were standing there for moons before I had the guts to break the silence. “Is there something wrong, Mistystar?” I asked carefully.

Mistystar’s face lit up, and she chuckled a little, causing me to become confused of what just happened. “No nothing is wrong, my apprentice,” she purred, resting her tail over my shoulders. “I just wanted to tell you that you’ll be going to the Gathering tonight.”

I stood there, my mind clearly through the camp and ending up in the clearing of the island that held a Gathering of the Clans every full moon. These Gathering’s were held in peace at this time, where news and worries are shared without fighting. My heart skipped a few beats before I came back to reality, and then I let out a squeal of excitement, making heads and eyes turn my way.

“I can’t believe I get to go to my first Gathering!” I wailed, jumping around like a kit. I stopped, feeling immature and stupid by doing this, but it was making Mistystar laugh so I figured it was natural for an apprentice to let out some of her kit from her heart.

“Well, you better believe it, Florapaw,” she mewed, giving me a lick on my cheek. “Now go and get some sleep, and something to eat if you think you need it. It’ll be a long night for you if you don’t have any energy.” She turned to walk away, and then looked over her shoulder, adding, “We leave at moonhigh, so I’ll have someone wake you up.”

My body was shaking with excitement as I made my way to the fresh-kill pile. All apprentices got to go to Gatherings, some, luckier than others, got to go to all of them. I had missed the first two because of the tensions between Clans after the Great Battle, and only older apprentices were able to go. I didn’t mind because after a hard day of work I had always looked forward to a peaceful night sleep. Now I would be one of those Clan members to be with other Clans and listen to the news shared by each, and meet new cats while learning their weaknesses.

Grabbing a vole from the top of the pile, I stumbled back to my den, happy thoughts racing through my mind. My chest was vibrating with a continuous purr when I entered the apprentices’ den and settled down to eat in my nest. The brambles waved lightly in the breeze still flowing off from the lake, and spotted sunlight all over the ground and nests of the den. My nest was located in the far back of the bramble den, away from all the light that flowed in the den at this time of day.

As I gobbled and chewed my vole, I looked around the den to see if any other apprentices were asleep already. The snoring from Whisperpaw told me she was in her nest in the middle of the den, next to Swiftpaw’s empty nest. Sure enough, I caught sight of the white patches of fur against her gray pelt. Cherrypaw was in the far corner from my nest, her brown tipped tail turning blood red as it flicked in the sunlight as she dreamed in her sleep.

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Swallowing my last piece of vole, I got up and carried the remains through the den, my head and tail held high as I took the bones outside the den and buried them beside the Burned Rock that was for apprentices to practice training skills with each other inside of camp. I climbed up on the rock, blackened by a strike of lightning. It had been thankfully hit before Riverclan had come to this camp, otherwise there would have been problems for the Clan.

I closed my eyes against the breeze and let out a long purr, my paws kneading the stone with happiness. I wanted to sit here until it was time to leave because I knew there was going to be no way I could sleep with energy coursing through my blood.

“What are you so happy about?” someone grumbled below me. I opened my eyes, rolling them as I gazed down on a light, dark spotted tom. This was Swiftpaw, the annoying apprentice of the Clan, and the one to think he was so great because he survived without a mother for the last moon of his kithood. I felt bad for him, for becoming like this. He had always been bossy and a know it all, but he was once sweet and loving before his mother had died in the battle. Now he was grumpier than any elder in the Clan, and one time I even told him to become one so that he’d fit in the Clan.

I didn’t let his bad attitude bring me down though. “I get to go to my first Gathering!” I announced to Swiftpaw, jumping up with delight, my tail curling with happiness I couldn’t contain. “You could at least be excited for me for once; I was always for you.”

Swiftpaw rolled his eyes and snorted. “I’ve been to three Gatherings already, and every one of them has been rated boring by me,” he growled, his dark spotted tail lashing out as I leaped down beside him. “I only go without complaint because I can learn all the other Clan’s weaknesses because of their big mouthed apprentices that like to show off. So take this into mind: stay silent and watch the others.”

“Thanks for the tip,” I hissed, giving Swiftpaw a nasty glare for actually ruining my mood. Then I smirked. “But I don’t need to listen to your jibber-jabber; I’ll learn on my own terms, not yours.” With my chin and tail held high, I stomped past Swiftpaw and into the den. I made my way past Brookpaw, a light brown tabby apprentice, who had just slipped into her nest moments before I entered the den. I sighed, knowing that Swiftpaw was just trying to bring down my mood, and ruin my chances of being happy for the first time in moons.

I rested my head on my paws, and closed my eyes, letting all the sounds of the settling camp come into my ears. Whisperpaw’s snoring was becoming louder and I hoped that it wouldn’t keep me awake for the short amount of time I had to nap before the Gathering, a Gathering that my hopes were running high on, and now were plummeting away because of what Swiftpaw said: they were boring. How could a Gathering be boring? Clanmates came home all the time with exciting news, but would I?

Squeezing my eyes tighter, I drained away all the discouraging wonders, blocked out all the sounds around me, and let sleep finally engulf me into deep slumber.

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Chapter 2Thunderclan

Leader Bramblestar- brown tabby tom with amber eyesApprentice- Singepaw (patchy gray tom with green eyes)

Deputy Squirrelflight- ginger she-cat with green eyes

Healer Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes Apprentice- Destinypaw (brown-and-gray she-cat with white patches and

blue eyes)

Warriors Thornclaw- golden-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes; son of Crowfeather and LeafpoolApprentice- Omenpaw (gray-and-white she-cat; kit of Crystalfern and Patchbreeze)

Honeyglow- golden-cream she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Leafpool- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom with amber eyesApprentice- Hollypaw (black-and-cream she-cat with green eyes; kit of Daisy)

Berrynose- cream colored tom with green eyes

Hazeltail- gray-and-white she-cat with gold eyes; Berrynose’s sister

Moleshard- brown-and-cream tom with green eyes

Cherryflare- ginger she-cat with gold eyes

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom with green eyes; Berrynose’s brother; father of Owlpaw

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Foxleap- reddish tabby tom with gold eyesApprentice- Lilypaw (dark tabby she-cat with white patches)

Fringeflare- golden tom with white paws and amber eyes; once a loner

Blossomfall- tortishell-and-white she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Seedpaw (very pale ginger she-cat)

Bumbleflight- gray tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- Flowerpaw (black-and-white she-cat with light green eyes)

Dovewing- fluffy gray she-cat with blue-green eyesApprentice- Pearlpaw (gray she-cat with hazel eyes)

Ivypool- silvery-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyesApprentice- Flashpaw (gray-and-white tom with gold eyes; Pearlpaw’s brother)

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Crystalfern- white she-cat with crystal-blue eyes; once a loner; mate of Patchbreeze; mother of Destinypaw, Omenpaw

and Flowerpaw

Patchbreeze- gray-and-brown, patchy tom with blue-amber eyes; once a loner; mate of Crystalfern

Thrushtail- white tom with brown spotted tail and green eyesApprentice- Owlpaw (gray-and-cream tom with green eyes; Mousewhisker’s and

Icecloud’s kit)

Toadstep- black-and-white tom with gold eyes

Rosepetal- dark cream she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Snowpaw (white tom with amber eyes)

Poppyfrost- tortishell she-cat with green eyes; mother of Cherryflare and Moleshard

Icecloud- white she-cat with blue eyes; Foxleap’s sister; mother of Owlpaw

Timberwind- calico-and-cream tom with amber eyes; once a lonerApprentice- Dewpaw (gray tom with amber eyes)

Jemstream- tortishell she-cat with gold eyes and white paws

Millie- striped gray tabby she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Amberpaw (gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, right ear, and

amber eyes)

Sorriltail- tortishell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Queens Daisy- cream she-cat with gold eyes

Whitewing- white she-cat with blue eyes; nursing Bichfall’s kits: Cottonkit (white she-cat), Iriskit (white-and-light brown

she-cat), and Tundrakit (white tabby she-cat)

Elders Sandstorm- ginger she-cat with light green eyes; once the mat of Firestar

Cloudtail- white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart- scarred, white she-cat with ginger patches and an amber eye

Dustpelt- brown tabby tom with green eyes; once the mate of Ferncloud

Spiderleg- black tom with brown underbelly and gold eyes; mate to Daisy

Briarlight- dark brown she-cat with broken lower spine and gold eyes

Purdy- plump tabby tom with gray muzzle and green eyes

ShadowclanLeader Rowenstar- ginger tom with amber eyes

Deputy Tigerheart- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Healer Mistcloud- pale gray she-cat with green eyes; kit of Kinkfur; sister of Dewshine

Warriors Pepperleg- black-and-gray tom with blue eyes

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Dewshine- gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

Blackflower- black, shiny she-cat with green eyes

Emberflame- ginger tom with amber eyes

Darkangel- black she-cat with icy blue eyes; kit of Blackflower and Owlclaw; mentor was Toadfoot

Falconclaw- brown-and-black tom with amber eyes; Darkangel’s brother; mentor was Dawnpelt

Wolfpelt- brown-and-cream tom with gold eye; kit of Dawnpelt

Ashclaw- gray tom with black paws; kit of Shrewfoot and Smokefoot

Stoneshadow- blue-gray-and-black tom with green eyesApprentice- Clawpaw (ginger, black tabby, tom with green eyes)

Olivenose- tortishell she-cat with gold eyes

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar down his back and green eyesApprentice- Stoatpaw (skinny ginger tom with amber eyes)

Smokefoot- black tom with amber eyes

Toadfoot- brown tom with gold eyes

Applefur- brown she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Thrustpaw (tortishell she-cat with blue eyes)

Crowfrost- black-and-white tom with gold eyes

Pineshadow- black she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw- light brown tabby tom with green eyes

Scorchfur- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Dawnpelt- cream she-cat with green eyes

Tawnypelt- tortishell she-cat with green eyes

Sourwave- cream-gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Ferretclaw- cream-and-gray tom with green eyes

Starlingwing- ginger tom with gold eyes

Queens Shrewfoot- gray she-cat with black paws and green eyes; mate to Smokefoot

EldersOakfur- small brown tom with gold eyes

Snaketail- brown tom with striped tail and green eyes

Whitewater- white she-cat with blue eyes

Ivytail- black-white-and-tortishell she-cat with green eyes

Snowbird- white she-cat with green eyes

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Littlecloud- very small tabby tom with blue eyes

WindclanLeader Onestar- brown tabby tom with gold eyes

Apprentice- Birdpaw (black-and-white she-cat with green eyes)

Deputy Ashfoot- gray she-cat with amber eyes

Healer Kestralflight- mottle gray tom with green eyes

Warriors Lizardfang- golden-brown tom with gold eyes

Lionclaw- golden tom with amber eyes

Owlwhisker- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- Dewpaw (gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes)

Whiskernose- light brown tom with gold eyes

Whitetail- white she-cat with green eyes

Leaftail- tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Harespring- brown-and-white tom with green eyesApprentice- Flightpaw (gray tom with green eyes)

Heathertail- brown she-cat with blue eyes

Furzepelt- gray-and-white she-cat with gold eyes

Diamondstorm- black-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyes

Boulderflame- gray tom with amber eyes

Sedgewhisker- brown tabby she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Pricklepaw (gray she-cat with blue eyes)

Emberfoot- gray tom with amber eyes

Cosmicshine- golden she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Eaglewing- brown-and-white tom with blue eyes

Dawnmoon- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Fangmoon- black to with white paws and gold eyesApprentice- Pouncepaw (brown-and-cream tom with blue eyes)

Queens Frozenpath- white she-cat with blue eyes; Boulderfalme’s mate

Elders Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws and green eyes

Webfoot- gray tabby tom with green eyes

Sunstrike- tortishell she-cat with blind amber eyes

At moonrise, I found myself being shaken awake by Reedwhisker, the Riverclan deputy. His black pelt blended in the nighttime surroundings, his green eyes the only thing I could locate of him at first. Once he moved out of the shadow of the apprentices’ den, his pelt turned instantly silver from the rising full moon. I

14


yawned, and then stretched myself from the den until my own pelt had its own silver sheen.

Most of the chosen Clanmates were already waiting beside Mistystar at the entrance to the camp, their movements in their bodies and paws showing that they were all very anxious. This Gathering was to be the third since the Great Battle, and the Clans had finally calmed down, and all was at peace between the borders that each Clan shared with each other. I trotted up to the group with Reedwhisker, Brookpaw scampering up behind, her chest heaving with the effort to catch up with us. I looked at her with concern, but she just ignored me and walked onward as Mistystar moved us across the tree bridge to the island.

A Clan of cats had already crossed to the island, smelling of trees and squirrels. This was Thunderclan, as Mistystar had taught me. Behind us was Windclan, the smell of the moors whisking from their pelts as the wind blew through everyone’s fur. I lifted my nose to the wind as I always have done, and sniffed in the smell of rain. Clouds covered the sky in the distance, but they would stay away from the moon long enough for the Gathering to go through a peaceful meeting.

Up ahead was the tree bridge. The trunk was stripped clean of any bark, leaving a slippery surface. It hadn’t always been here; only since a moon or so after the Clans had moved into the lake territories. I remember the stories the elders would tell Spottedpaw and me when we were kits, the elders that had watched the tree fall from the island.

I recalled their words: “Warriors from Riverclan, Windclan, and Shadowclan allied together and formed a group of warriors that were against Onewhisker taking Tallstar’s place without a formal ceremony in front of Windclan. Mudclaw, the deputy under Tallstar, had been furious and plotted an attack on his own Clan and had planned to kill Onewhisker because he didn’t have his nine lives yet, for the Moonpool had not yet been founded. It was a stormy night of the attack on Windclan. Hawkfrost, a warrior from Riverclan, was in one this battle plan, but was never punished because he said that he believed in what was right, but found he was wrong about Onewhisker becoming a great leader.

“Mudclaw ran from the battle because Thunderclan had come to help Windclan against the attack, as usual. He and Hawkfrost fled down the hillside, the storm becoming fierce. Brambleclaw, now Bramblestar, was chasing both of the warriors down, his paws flying over the ground. He attacked Mudclaw; Hawkfrost was gone from sight, but Brambleclaw was outsmarted by the Windclan warrior, and was pinned, ready to die by the teeth of Mudclaw. The next thing is that Hawkfrost springs from nowhere and drags down Mudclaw, and away from Brambleclaw, his half-brother. Hawkfrost there explained that loyalty to protecting his brother was more important than letting Mudclaw become leader.

“While Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw found each other’s truth that night, Mudclaw escaped Hawkfrost’s claws and raced away from the brothers, running straight under the tree that makes our bridge to the island today. Lightning struck the tree, crackling the air around it, causing the tree to crash to the ground and on top of the stunned Mudclaw, ending the life of the Windclan warrior. This was a sign sent to us from Starclan, saying that Mudclaw was not Windclan’s rightful leader and that the island was to be used as a Gathering place, just as it was first thought.”

I was told never to bring this story up around Windclan warriors because it would offend them. Mudclaw was dead, and his threat he had on all the Clans was forever gone, not knowing where his spirit may lay now. Windclan remember themselves as weak back then, needing the help of Thunderclan often, until Onestar became a strong leader for his Clan and resisted the help of Firestar and the Thunderclan warriors.

Teeth nipped my ear and brought me jolting back to reality. “You’re going to make Riverclan late for the Gathering, Florapaw!” Brookpaw snapped, sitting on the edge of the tree bridge, her tail lashing. “The Clan is waiting for you so hurry it up!” She leaped to her paws and raced across the bridge, her claws gouging into the trunk to keep hold of the slippery surface. I watched carefully where she put her paws so that I wouldn’t fall.

Brookpaw landed safely on the other side of the tree bridge, her paws falling balanced on the sandy shore of the island. I took a deep breath and clawed my way onto the tree, digging my claws in and pulling myself up. The trunk was wet and smooth, making it hard to not slip on its sleek surface. In order to keep from sliding

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right off and into the dark water below, I dug my claws into the trunk as I weaved myself around dead branches sticking out of the tree, the sticks pulling at my spotted, golden fur. Halfway across the tree, I looked down into the moon reflecting water and saw nothing but darkness below. I shivered at the thought of falling in and not knowing if the water too deep to stand up in. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to swim; I’m Riverclan! We know how to swim better than any cat. My reason was because I didn’t know how deep the water was in this area, and in my training I was taught never to jump into water you don’t know the depth of because if its deeper than last thought, then a cat could easily drown. If the water was shallower than thought, well it’s possible that you could break a bone if you jumped in too harshly.

Shaking my head, I bounded towards the island to where Mistystar and the others waited for me. When I finally jumped down on to the island, most of my Clanmates rolled their eyes and sped away after our leader. I sighed, realizing that all my day dreaming and thinking had stalled our arrival so that our Clan was last to make it to the Gathering. Riverclan was usually first or second, depending on how early Windclan came, but for once Thunderclan made it first.

I sat on the shore of the island, my head bowed, knowing that I upset my Clan, but didn’t most apprentices of a Clan? I needed to focus, but how could I? I dreamed constantly, and I always thought things through before doing them, sometimes taking a little too long for my Clanmates’ likings. Mistystar said it was just something else to work on in training. She said I need to think fast, and make my movements swift, while clearing my mind so that I didn’t get distracted so easily. For the last moon I had been working on those tactics and I hadn’t seen a single change in my attention span.

A paw tapped me on the shoulder. I sighed and lifted my head, expecting Mistystar or Reedwhisker, but instead it was of a pale ginger she-cat that smelled of forest trees and dirt. I recognized the scent to be Thunderclan, and by the age of this cat, she had to be an elder, yet her green eyes still held that warrior spark.

She must’ve noticed my protection shield going up by how my muscles had tensed, because she backed away slightly, and mewed, “I was walking around the island, and noticed you sitting there alone, young apprentice. Is everything okay? The Gathering is about to start without you.”

“Uh… yeah, thanks,” I muttered, slinking away to the bushes that blocked the clearing in the middle of the island out of sight. Trees surrounded the edges of the island, keeping it secured from most of the wind from the lake and moorland. Grass was pounded into the ground with many moons of trampling it from Gatherings. It was the perfect place for the meetings held every full moon.

“Florapaw, where are you?”A black head poked out from the bushes ahead of me. It was Reedwhisker, and his eyes were starting to become filled with annoyance. “Come on, the Gathering is about to begin, and its not going to wait for you.” He disappeared and raced away. I darted underneath the bushes and quickly followed him until I was stopped by awe from the size of the clearing.

The clearing was grassy, like most of the island. Shrubs and trees protectively surrounded it, where only one opening was left so that anybody could see clearly across the lake and into Thunderclan territory. The clearing itself was the size of at least two camps, and at the moment there were tons of cats from all four Clans. In the middle of the island stood a huge oak tree, low branches arching above the heads of cats, where the leaders sat to address the Clans. On the lowest, branches, a brown tabby tom and a ginger tom sat together. On the other side of them, sitting in the fork of a branch, was Mistystar, her pelt turned silver by the moonlight. Above all three of them, a brown tabby tom stared down on all the cats in the clearing.

These cats were the leaders of all the Clans. Onestar was the brown tabby, his fur sleek and smooth on his skinny, Windclan body. This was what Windclan cats looked liked: skinny for speed in order to hunt the rabbits that live on their land. The most temperamental of all four of the leaders was Rowenstar, his Clan of dark hearted cats made of dark colors to blend in their dark forest in Shadowclan territory. The elders always could swear they had webbed feet because the cats lived in a swampy area, where their paws were always wet and muddy. Thunderclan’s leader, Bramblestar, was the most bold and muscular of them all. I couldn’t blame him, since he fought for trust from his leader and Clan because of who his father was: Tigerstar. All the cats from the Clans thought Bramblestar would

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turn out to be ambitious and would murder others to become leader, but he waited, wanting to earn his place in his Clan instead of force it.

The leaders were talking amongst themselves, deciding what to share and how well each of their apprentices seemed to be turning out. I would take this time to meet other cats and possibly explore the island, even though I could do that on my own time back in my Clan since it was inside Riverclan’s borders.

Reedwhisker passed me once more, nodding to me. He was limping again, his old knocked shoulder playing with him again. He had just been an apprentice when he had gotten hurt, fishing back in the old forest over the river. He had fallen in and whacked his shoulder on a rock, and drifted a little ways downstream where Mistystar, Mistyfoot then, was able to save him. An old Thunderclan healer, who had been an apprentice back then, named Leafpool, had crossed the river to patch up Reedwhisker’s wound because our own healer, Mothwing, had stalled and forgot what to do.

My deputy left, joining a few cats from Windclan and Thunderclan. I followed my deputy slightly until I found Brookpaw sitting among the Thunderclan cats. The cats she sat with were mostly apprentices, but then there were a group of elders from all the Clans gathered together sharing their stories with the younger minds. I joined them to listen to the wisdom they had to share with us.

A pure white tom, now flecked with gray, was speaking, telling the story of when cats had been captured back in the old forest. A white ginger patched she-cat with a scarred face leaned into him, her one amber eye filled with memory and fear of the days of her past.

“Brightheart and I had just gone out to do some hunting, hoping to find some food for our starving Clan. The Twolegs had destroyed everything with their tree eating monsters, and had chased most of the prey away, and what prey the Clan could find was skinny and hardly filling. We hunted from sunrise to sunhigh, and found only a single mouse throughout the whole territory. As we headed back to the camp, I could smell something wonderful, but very odd. We followed the scent to a small, wooden den, and inside, on the middle of the floor, was food, but it was kittypet food. Brightheart and I tried figuring out how to bring the food back to the Clan, but there was no way. That’s when everything got dark, and I then knew we were captured.” The white tom stopped talking turning to his mate Brightheart and waiting for her to finish.

The white she-cat sat up and turned her face towards us apprentices. “It was a scary feeling as the Twolegs moved us into these mesh-like dens we now can call cages,” she continued with the story. “We stayed in these cages for a couple moons before a miracle happened. Squirrelflight, the daughter of Firestar, was only an apprentice back then, but she had a dream that led her to the place where all the captured cats had been taken. She had brought a patrol with her. Graystripe led an attack on the Twolegs to distract them while the rest of them split up, some going into the den holding a few cats and the rest going into the belly of the monster to release everyone in there. Leafpool, Cloudtail and I were inside the monster, along with Mistystar. We all got out but my catch on the cage was caught and Squirrelflight couldn’t get the thing to budge. The monster roared to life and told them to leave me, but Graystripe wouldn’t let that happen. He pushed everyone out of the monster and worked at the catch himself. Moments later I felt myself spring from the cage, and watch Graystripe being taken away in the monster.”

The apprentices around me started asking multiple questions about how Firestar felt about his best friend being stolen, and others asked about how Graystripe had come home. I knew the answers to these questions because I had asked them to my elders back in camp when I had been a kit. Instead of sticking around, I left the group of elders and apprentices from the four Clans and back into the midst of the gathering Clans.

I glanced about the clearing, spotting Whisperpaw. She was sitting close to the tree with a group of dark pelted cats, the smell of Shadowclan wafting off their pelts. They looked like other apprentices, so I trotted over and joined them.

Whisperpaw turned her head and purred. “Hey, Florapaw,” she greeted with a purr. “Come to meet some Shadowclan cats?”

I shifted my eyes to the cats off to her other side, and shrugged. “Sure,” I muttered, “why not?”

My denmate introduced me to the Shadowclan cats, which I found out were mostly warriors. There was a black-and-gray tom named Pepperleg, a gray she-cat

17


named Dewshine, and a black she-cat with bright green eyes that had been given the warrior name Blackflower. I said hello to each of the younger warriors, and they nodded their greetings back. Whisperpaw then turned to another black she-cat, icy blue eyes staring me down.

“This is Darkangel,” she mewed. “She was made a warrior a couple days ago. She was the first cat I met here at my first Gathering.” I made a face at Whisperpaw, trying to show I could care less about Shadowclan cats, espically warriors, but she didn’t seem to take notice when Bramblestar finally called for the meeting to start.

“Welcome to another Gathering!” Bramblestar started. “I would wish to start this fresh meeting with good news. Thunderclan is growing fat from all the fresh-kill this season, and the apprentices den are full with training warriors. We have also taken in loners that have already been made into warriors for their skills were amazing considering they were never warriors before we found them groveling with foxes. They are now known as Timberwind, his daughter Jemstream, Fringeflare, and Patchbreeze and Crystalfern and their three kits: Omen, Destiny, and Flower. The kits are now training to be warriors, and have taken the names Omenpaw and Flowerpaw, while Destinypaw has traveled a different path into the healer field.

“Also in the last moon, a patrol of Thunderclan’s warriors had found abandoned kits farther up the stream from our territory,” Bramblestar continued, his eyes falling on a pair of gray cats about my age. “They were small for their age, but come to find out they were ready for apprentice training. They joined in with the other apprentices and now are members of the Clan, and have been given the names Pearlpaw and Flashpaw. At last Brightheart’s kits have become ‘paws and are known as Amberpaw, Snowpaw, and Dewpaw. Brightheart now has moved into the elders’ den with Cloudtail, Dustpelt, Spiderleg, and Sandstorm. Whitewing has moved into the nursery, having three kits she named Cottenkit, Iriskit, and Tundrakit.”

Mistystar stepped forward at Bramblestar’s courteous gesture to her. She dipped her head and began speaking. “It’s always great to here that prey is running and the dens of Clans are filled with young cats. My Clan is this way as well. The fish in the streams have grown in numbers, giving Riverclan more than enough food, and we would like to share some with the other Clans.” She glanced at each of the leaders. “Would you accept my offer?”

“We don’t need your stinking fish!” Rowenstar growled from his branch beside Bramblestar.

“Windclan has plenty of rabbits this season, and we don’t want you fish,” Onestar mewed more politely.

The leaders now looked to Bramblestar. The brown tabby seemed to be conversing with his deputy, Squirrelflight with their eyes. She gave a nod, and Bramblestar answered, “If you will share your fish, we will share our prey, as in a trade, perhaps.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Mistystar mewed with a smile. “I will send two cats to your territory to bring some fish to you tomorrow at sunhigh, and then we can exchange. Other news within the Clan,” she continued, facing the Clans again. “We have many apprentices in our camp, and some are only a few days away from becoming warriors.” My leader finished with a nod to Rowenstar, and stepped back to listen to the Shadowclan leader. The tom’s frail bones shook as he stood beside Bramblestar. “All is well with Shadowclan,” he rasped. “The prey is running well, and there has been plenty of clean water flowing through the marshes for once. Shadowclan has two new warriors, keeping their silent vigil two nights ago and are here tonight as Falconclaw and Darkangel.” The crowds cheered momentarily before being silenced by a raise of Rowenstar’s ginger tail. “There has also been numerous kits born in Shadowclan this season, and will grow into strong warriors to fend off any intruders.”

I rolled my eyes and got to my paws, not wanting to hear Rowenstar accuse Thunderclan and Riverclan for trespassing on his territory when neither Clan probably hadn’t stepped a whisker over the borders. Shadowclan just liked to cause problems with the other Clans and I wasn’t going to part of it. Blocking the voices around me, I just crept and weaved around the other cats in the clearing, and pushed my way through the bushes to the sandy shore of the island, where it was peaceful.

18


I rested down on the still warm sand and looked out over the lake. The moon’s reflection rippled with the small waves stirred up from the never ending breeze. The reeds edging the shore flowed with the wind, casting moving shadows on the beach. Crickets made song from the bushes and long grasses poking up from the sand here and there. Frogs croaked from the stationed lily pads floating on the water’s surface. It was what I called a peaceful evening with no one bugging me for once.

The bushes rustled, and Swiftpaw appeared at my side. “Bored already?” he chuckled, but for once not sounding like he was a know-it-all, even though he had been right about the Gatherings being boring. “Or did the big, bad Clan cats scare you?”

“Like you said, the Gathering is boring,” I spat, his appearance ruining my good mood. “Now go away.” There went my peaceful evening, as usual ruined by the annoying apprentice.

Swiftpaw gazed down at me, and then lay down beside me on the sand. “Did someone say something to make you mad?” he asked with concern.

I opened my mouth to say something and then thought better of it, not wanting to cause a rivalry between Swiftpaw and I. “No, I was just enjoying the beautiful nighttime peace, and then you broke the dream.”

The tom never took his eyes off my pelt, making me twitch it with unease. “I can leave if you want.” He got to his paws when I didn’t answer and started to walk away.

“Wait, Swiftpaw,” I called to him, “I didn’t mean to send you away. I just was trying to think, and figure why the Clans seem to still hate each other.”

“Well that’s simple,” he purred, walking back and stopping a whisker length from my nose. “The Clans have differences that repel each other so that we’re always divided into four. Even after all that the Clans have done together to fight for what they have now hasn’t brought the Clans any closer.”

The bushes rustled once more and the pale ginger she-cat I saw earlier stepped into view. “That’s where you’re wrong, youngin’. When the Clans traveled together to get from the old forest to here, you wouldn’t even had noticed that we were four instead of one. There was also the time when the Clans had to join together to fight a blood seeking Clan of cats and chase them off to keep the forest, and then there’s of course the recent Great Battle.”

Who was this cat? I kept wondering. I didn’t know who she was, or how she knew so much, but thankfully Swiftpaw answered my questions, as if reading my mind. “Florapaw, this is Sandstorm, a recent elder of Thunderclan. She was the mate of the great Firestar that had always been ‘the fire that would save the Clan.’”

I mewed a greeting to Sandstorm, but nothing more. I had so many questions I wanted to ask this cat, knowing that much wisdom lied in her eyes and bones. Finally, one slipped my mouth. “What was it like to be able to trust the other Clans and become one?”

“It was a new feeling for all of us,” Sandstorm replied, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her legs. “For once there were no borders separating us from each other. We were able to trust and help each at all times. We could fight side by side, hunt as teams, and never have any arguments about who was better. Everytime we were one instead of four, it felt like we had never been separated in the first place, but of course we would sooner or later go back to the old ways and hate each other, while only aiding one another in herbs, and maybe to solve a small problem.”

I listened tentatively to Sandstorm’s words. She lived all these times when Clans had come together, and then fell apart. I wished to know what it was like myself, but now that the worse of the threats were gone from the Clans, there was no need to come together ever again.

“I’m curious; did any cats never get to see the lake territories?”The elders’ eyes darkened. “There were many we had to leave behind,” she

sighed, staring at the ground. “Back in the old forest, Twolegs were capturing cats and were going to take them away. My daughter Leafpool, and even your leader had been some of those cats caught. My other daughter had a dream from Starclan, showing where she could find these missing cats. She and Sorriltail decided to go rescue them before it was too late. They were met up with Bramblestar and a border patrol led by Graystripe. Together, they were able to release all of the cats, but Graystripe got caught himself after trying to free Brightheart. She got out, but

19


the Twolegs had Graystripe. “For the longest time, we never saw anything of Graystripe, and my mate, Firestar, had been devastated by the disappearance of his best friend,” Sandstorm continued. “Of course, we couldn’t wait for him forever, so we had to leave the forest without Graystripe. Elders from Thunderclan and Riverclan stayed behind to watch over Riverclan’s dead healer Mudfur, Mothwing’s old mentor. Over the mountains we lost Smokepaw, a Shadowclan apprentice, and his death brought the Clans closer together so that we could help each other.”

“There was also Feathertail,” Swiftpaw added. “She was part of our Clan, but she and her brother Stormfur was half Thunderclan as well. Feathertail died saving the Tribe of Rushing Water from Sharptooth, a mountain lion killing off the Tribe.” Swiftpaw was gazing through the bushes now. “The Gathering is breaking up; we should go. Thank you for sharing your tales with us, Sandstorm,” he added to the pale she-cat.

“Of course young apprentice,” she purred unevenly. Sandstorm got to her paws and pushed her way through the bushes. She stopped and turned to me. “And Florapaw, if you have any more questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them.” Without a reply from me, Sandstorm disappeared and raced to join her Clan.

“We should go too,” Swiftpaw mewed, his fur brushing against mine. “By the way, I actually enjoyed tonight’s Gathering.”

“What was different?” I asked, confused. Swiftpaw hesitated, and then stared me in the eyes. “I was able to be with

you this time.”My mouth was a gap as I shook my head in disbelief. Hurt filled my

denmate’s eyes, and I couldn’t bear to see it any longer, so I stormed away from him and the peaceful beach. What was I doing? He liked me, and I had always had high feelings for him, so why was I running from it?

I burst from the bushes and instantly ran into Reedwhisker’s leg, toppling him over. “Where have you and Swiftpaw been off to?” he growled, getting to his paws and shaking the dust from his pelt. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. All I know is that you both took off without permission and for punishment you both shall clean the elders’ den tomorrow.”

“Whatever,” I hissed, rolling my eyes and trotting away, meeting up with my father, Grasspelt.

“What’s the matter?” he asked with a raspy voice. This was really the first time I noticed the age of my father: his usual brown pelt was pale, and his bones had become weak and slow, while his skin hung from bones as he became skinnier.

“It’s really nothing, Grasspelt,” I muttered before running away from him. I quickly raced ahead of the Clan and splashed into the water under the bridge, not patient enough to wait to cross the tree bridge. When I was free of reeds and water, I fled back home and away from my staring Clanmates, wishing for peace and quiet for the rest of the night.

Chapter 3Peace in my sleep was never going to happened. Unavoidable dreams of

what I found out at the Gathering kept waking me from time and time again in the middle of the night, sometimes from yowling out loud and having a denmate shake me awake and yell at me to be quiet. Thankfully Swiftpaw stayed in the center of the den and never said a word to me.

By the fourth dream and outburst, I finally got up and left the den, hoping to give the others the sleep they needed. Outside the bramble den, the sky was beginning to brighten with the rising sun. The horizon turned to a creamy-gray dawn, and I knew the dawn patrol had already left the camp. To shake the sleep

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from my paws I instead walked about the camp. Birdsong filled my ears, replacing the sounds of the night. The lake lightly splashed at the edge of the shore as the breeze pulled at the water. A squirrel chattered in the distance. These were all the sounds and details I could pick out from the lake territories when I was alone and peaceful. It was the way I liked to live my life.

I could hear warriors stirring inside their dens, so I decided to leave the camp to keep my mind calm and relaxed for a while longer. Along the shore I walked down a path I found when I had still been a kit. No other cat of my Clan knew about this path, so it was my secret where I would never be found. This path would take me to the broken half-bridge close to Windclan territory, while the other direction would lead me directly to Shadowclan territory.

I decided that I shouldn’t have to sneak out of camp since all I felt like doing was hunting, but I still took my path anyways. My reason for sneaking about was because apprentices weren’t supposed to leave the camp without mentor permission. I moved my pace to a quicker speed so that I could catch some prey before my absence was noticed in the camp. Dawn was approaching quickly, so I had to make this hunt short and swift.

Silently I raced down my path edging the lake. Mud sucked at my paws, and then waves from the lake washed the mud away. While I followed the path, I came to an opening where I would have to run past the tree-bridge to get to the other side of the path. The coast was clear, so I hurried across the open space. I checked the air for any scents, and thankfully only caught those of prey.

A mouse’s scent trail was the first thing I caught. It started at the bushes that hid my secret pathway, and ended up at the lake where the mouse cleaned some seeds that it held in its paws. I followed the trail to a reed bed close to the location of the mouse, and stopped, crouching low to my stomach, to only where my belly fur just touched the ground. I held my tail erect so that it didn’t disturb anything nearby its twitching tip. Peering through the spaces between reed stalks, I caught sight of the mouse in the water, and tensed my shoulders.

With great speed, and practice I was able to pounce on the mouse and kill it before the prey could make a movement or sound. I nipped the back of the neck so that the mouse would go limp, and then I lifted my head, the mouse dangling in my jaws, and purred with satisfaction. Heading back to the bushes beside my path, I dug out a small hole, dropped my mouse in it, and then buried my fresh-kill so I could collect it later.

At the lake’s edge, I was able to return to my hunt. I lifted my jaws to the air and opened them to allow all the scents of the area come to me. The wind carried to me the scent of rabbits from the moorlands, but I just dispatched that smell from my memory and focused on the other scents. There was the stale scent of fox, last night’s patrol, and of the barn dog that got loose from its Twolegs now and again. Lastly, the strongest of the smells hit my nose: water vole.

Following the scent trail left on the ground recently, I thought about my very first hunting practice, and then my first kill. Mistystar crouched low, stalking the ground on light, silent paws. She almost seemed to be floating above the ground. Then she spotted a target, invisible of course, pulled in her haunches, and then launched herself into the air, landing on a leaf a few rabbit hops away. Her agility was of that of years of practice, never hesitant, only quick. I had watched every movement that she had made in order to creep up on her unsuspecting prey: light and small steps, stomach low to the ground but just barely touching, tail held erect and still, controlled breathing, ears swerved forward; it was everything a hunter needed. At Mistystar’s command, I was able to mirror her movements almost perfectly, my only problem being that my mind was wandering. In the next few moments, I was able to use my new tactics and bring down my first mouse.

I was brought back to reality when a twig cracked under my paws. I cringed down to the ground, knowing that I had to of chased off the vole I had been following. I was at a point in the scent trail where the prey had turned towards the water. Through the reeds, I searched the water’s edge, spotting the vole gathering clean moss for nests, luckily too preoccupied to have heard the twig snap. Another met up beside it, and I knew this was the right time to catch not one, but two water voles. Squaring my shoulders, and pulling in my haunches, I leaped over the reeds, landing with both paws planting the voles to the ground, both letting out shrill squeals before I could nip their necks. Leaning down, I grabbed my fresh-kill by the tails, the prey hanging limply from my jaws.

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I gasped when I turned around and found Mistystar watching me with pride welling up in her eyes. I averted my eyes from my mentor’s, even though I didn’t see any anger in them. I pawed at the ground in shame and embarrassment, knowing that I was probably going to be punished for leaving without permission, just like with last night’s Gathering.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone that I was going out,” I apologized to my leader in a small voice. “I just wanted to hunt for the Clan since I couldn’t sleep.”

Mistystar prowled around me, and then stood straight up. “Well, you did a very good job with catching these voles,” she purred. “Your tactic for going for both of them was brilliant. You definitely have gotten the hunter’s crouch down.”

I pricked my ears up in happiness at Mistystar’s compliment on my hunting. “I have a mouse buried back by the bushes too,” I told her quickly, racing off to the buried fresh-kill. I removed the dirt from the limp mouse in the hole, and lifted it up in my jaws. The mouse was still warm, and from the feel of it between my teeth, it was a plump one. I carried the mouse back to my leader, and placed it at her paws.

Mistystar looked up from washing her side, and her eyes widened with pride and happiness. “You certainly have done well, my apprentice. Let’s take this back to camp, have you eat a little something, and then I want us to do some training.”

Putting a little skip in my walk, I leaned down to pick up my voles, but something from yesterday crossed my mind. “I have to take care of the elders today. Reedwhisker said he’s punishing Swiftpaw and I for taking off during the Gathering without permission.”

My mentor rolled her eyes and sat down. “Reedwhisker is wrong to punish you,” she mewed. “Going out onto the beach is not harming anyone, and it isn’t against the warrior code. He was real jumpy last night for some reason, and felt like it was the right thing to do at that moment.”

“So Swiftpaw and I don’t have to clean the elders’?”“No, but don’t you think that you’ll never have to,” Mistystar replied with a

flick of her tail. She got to paws and picked up the mouse at her paws. “Now let’s get to camp and put these kills on the pile,” she muffled around the mouse. I nodded, and raced after my mentor as she took off at full speed, the voles slapping me as they swung from their tails.

Back in the camp, the Clan had become active, sunhigh approaching quickly. The queens were outside in the shadow of the den, waiting for the sun to strike their pelts and warm them up while Fernpool’s kits raced in and out of the nursery. Whisperpaw and Swiftpaw practice battle moves on the rock pile next to our den. At the prey pile, the smoky black elder, Blackclaw, snuffled around the depleted pile of prey. Reedwhisker was nearby, setting up today’s and tomorrow’s patrols. Mistystar was walking up to him, her mouse still in her jaws, so I figured she was going to tell Reedwhisker that punishing Swiftpaw and I had been unjust, and then she was probably going to eat the mouse peacefully in her den.

I didn’t bother to watch what Reedwhisker was going to say and turned towards the elders’ den. Blackclaw just had finished looking for something to eat, not finding what he wanted, and was entering the den. I followed the black tom inside the den made of branches and then covered with cold repelling moss and mud. It was warm and dark inside, but eyes thankfully adjusted quickly to the gloom so I wouldn’t step on any of the elders.

Blackclaw was just settling down in his nest when he and the others noticed my entrance. “Welcome, Florapaw, how may we help you?” the smoky elder greeted, teeth gritting together as he lay himself down. Obviously his bones were hurting him again, so I thought about talking to Spottedpaw and Willowshine about it.

I set down the two voles on the moss and feathered floor in the middle of all the elders. “There’ll be more prey when the hunting patrols get back, but I went out myself this morning and caught these for you,” I replied, heat rising from under my pelt in nervousness.

Voletooth, a small brown tabby elder, leaned over and sniffed the two voles. I figured his vision was becoming blurry with age and was making it hard for him to see what I caught, so he used his good sense of smell to figure it out.

“You caught these voles by yourself?” he asked, sitting back again.I nodded, and then mewed, “Yeah, but it was easy.”

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“Voles are not easy to catch, Florapaw,” Graymist, a pale gray tabby elder, mewed. “The smallest of sounds send them running, and when they run, good luck chasing them down. Stop being so modest about your hunting.”

I looked down at my paws, my mind replaying the hunt. The voles had been too easy to catch. Neither of them hadn’t heard the loud crack of the twig, and then came together for two easy catches. Whether I had been given easy prey, or I had been in the right place at the right time; either way, I was able to bring home food for the Clan, just as an apprentice was supposed to do.

When I broke from the memory, Blackclaw and Mothwing were sharing a vole, and Voletooth and Graymist shared the other. I looked about the den for my father, but saw that he wasn’t there. Leaving the elders in peace, I backed out of the den, and back into the camp. The clearing had emptied a little, the hunting and border patrols all out in the forest. Mistystar was still in camp, finishing her mouse. Only Brownpaw remained outside the apprentices’ den, the others most likely on patrol or training. The queens had remained outside of their den, Fernpool’s four kits playing a game of Toss That Moss Ball. Sweetkit, the smallest of the kits, was creeping up from behind her brother Sharkkit as he reached up to catch the moss ball. When Stormkit threw the ball to Sharkkit, Sweetkit attacked her brother and they tumbled to the ground together.

While the kits played, I padded over to the fresh-kill pile and pulled a mouse from the pile, and ate it there. My stomach rumbled as I ate, thanking me for filling it at last. When I was finished with the prey, I rolled onto my back and patted my stomach with satisfaction.

“Hear you caught a couple voles with talent.” A shadow blocked the sun from hitting my pelt. I turned my head and stared at the proud face of my father. I twisted onto my stomach, my tail waving happily.

“It was just luck, Grasspelt,” I gushed, looking at my paws. “The voles just happened to be right next to each other.”

“That’s not what Mistystar said,” Grasspelt purred with a glint in his eyes. “She told me that you were about to catch the one, and then she said you heard the other from the way your ear twitched.”

I shook my head. “Believe what you want, father, but I’m the only one who knows how I caught it.” I got to my paws and rubbed my chin under my father’s chin. “I’ve got to go train with Mistystar right now; I’ll be back later.”

“Good luck, Florapaw,” he called after me as I raced after my disappearing mentor. “Make me proud as you always do!”

Even though I had ran to catch up with Mistystar, my leader still made it to the training area before me. The area was a clearing of sand beside the lake, not far from camp and near the island for Gatherings. Surrounded by tall beech trees, the clearing was shaded and well hidden from predators. Bushes and tall ferns blocked any cats from view and made it very private to train apprentices. On the side of the clearing that met with the lake, a pile of rocks laid half on land and half in the water, the pile used for climbing and other training techniques Riverclan used.

Mistystar sat at one end of the clearing, wise, blue eyes watching my every move. “Are you ready for more training, Florapaw?”

I nodded my head, my paws dancing with anticipation. “I’m ready for whatever you have in store to teach me, Mistystar,” I replied.

“Do you remember what you have learned over the last couple moons first?”I looked off to the side and thought about our few training sessions we have

had together. She had taught me the basics in warrior training so far, including hunting techniques for all sorts of prey. The first thing I had to learn before everything else was how to keep my balance. I had to use my tail at all times while keeping it close to the ground so it couldn’t be bitten so easily. From there I learned to use my balance in a back kick, where I had to have good aim and be able to balance on my front paws while kicking out with my back paws. The belly rake move was very simple, and a great way to win a battle if a cat was pinned on their back. A front paw blow was the easiest of all moves, keeping claws sheathed while bringing a paw down on an opponent’s head, and the front paw strike wasn’t much different but was using unsheathed claws instead. Mistystar had once demonstrated how evil cats easily killed enemies, by grabbing a hold of the throat or the back of a cat’s neck and giving it a quick, hard bite, just like they would do with prey. She told

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me that in the Clans, the killing bite was only used for a last resort because ‘warriors don’t kill to win their battles.’

I turned my head back to my mentor, who was waiting patiently. “I believe I have recovered all I have learned. I’m ready to learn for more,” I mewed.

Mistystar got to her paws and padded towards me. “Good,” she said, “that means you are ready to move on into the more difficult fighting techniques. The first thing I will teach you in this field is the move called leap-and-hold. To perform this move, you must spring on a cats back and grip it with unsheathed claws, but while this is training, our claws will be sheathed as usual. There are two counter attacks to this move: the drop-and-roll and the leap-and-roll. The drop-and-roll is when your opponent will fall to his side and roll onto his back to squish you, and then flee. The other defense move is when your opponent will roll onto his back when you spring at him. He will then slide under your paws, trip you to the ground, and then attack.”

I quickly imaged the moves in my head and then crouched. “I’m ready to try them out.”

“We’ll try the leap-and-roll first,” she mewed. “I’ll attack, you counter at the end.” Mistystar stalked to the other end of the clearing. She faced me in a crouching position, and then flew towards me. She threw out her front paws and leaped at me, but I was ready. Quickly, I threw myself to the ground, sliding under her paws and rolling onto my back at once. Her shadow crept over me as her body flew over mine. I outstretched my legs and curled my paws around the back of Mistystar’s back legs, right where the tendons were, and pulled on them. She tumbled to the ground and rolled away from me where I saw my chance to counter attack her. I skidded to a halt and sprang to my paws, ran at Mistystar and head-butted her in her side as she got to her paws.

Mistystar fell to the ground in a stunned heap, the attacks causing both of us to pant. “That was well done, Florapaw,” she breathed, sitting up. “That last move you used was called a head-butt obviously, but I hadn’t taught it to you yet.”

“Swiftpaw and Whisperpaw train outside the apprentice den a lot, and they were using it one time,”’ I explained as I shook my pelt free of dust and leaves. “How come apprentices are taught that move later in training? It seems so simple.”

She sighed, getting to her paws and shaking the debris from her blue-gray pelt as well. “I’ll explain that when I teach it to you properly. Now, let’s try doing the other moves and then get home for some rest.”

I stood on determined paws throughout the rest of our training. Mistystar was quick when she used the drop-and-roll on me when I had used the leap-and-hold, but I was able to get off her back just before she could squish me like a bug. It was a little after sunhigh when we had finished practicing and began heading home.

“I think this was the best session we’ve had together,” Mistystar purred as we pushed through the bushes of the training clearing. “You are learning quickly, my apprentice, and that means your warrior ceremony could just be around the corner.”

My ears pricked at Mistystar’s words, but also because I heard someone approaching. From over the rise of the small ravine we stood in I saw the dark pelt of Brownpaw racing towards us. His eyes were wild and huge, and his fur was standing on end, as if something had spooked him terribly.

“Mistystar, we need you back at camp!” Brownpaw hollered before he had even reached my mentor and I. “Shadowclan snuck into our camp through the muck beside the lake and now has launched an attack on Riverclan! Reedwhisker says we need you in battle!”

Instantly Mistystar went into attack mode, her teeth bared and her claws unsheathed. “Go back to camp right now; the camp needs all the paws it can get. I’ll be right behind you.” Brownpaw turned back from the way he came and disappeared. Mistystar turned towards me. “I need you to go and find Minnowtail’s sunhigh patrol beside Windclan’s border. If Shadowclan brought enough warriors, we might need Minnowtail’s patrol to back us up.”

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Chapter 4 I didn’t have to go very far to reach the Windclan border, but I became

nervous with impatience when I didn’t find Minnowtail’s patrol, only their scent. They had been past here recently, but the scent soon disappeared into the lake’s mud where the water was starting to wash away foot prints in the muck. The prints led into Windclan territory, where the lake would wash away any scents of Riverclan in Windclan territory. I swallowed nervously, pacing along the border.

Everything was silent as I waited beside the border. There was still no sign of Minnowtail’s patrol that Mistystar had promised to me about. She hadn’t lied just to keep me away from camp, had she? I shook my head, thinking about how ridiculous I was being for thinking that about my leader and mentor. But I began to wonder what was really going on as the sounds of battle continued to reach my ears, reminding me of that day when the Dark Forest attacked.

Finding a nearby bush, I hid inside, resting my chin on my paws. Moments continued to pass as I watched the border closely through the bush’s safety. The sun was starting to sink lower in the sky and I was beginning to get extremely worried about what was happening back at camp without the extra paws.

Finally I got sick with worry and trudge out of the bush. Without watching what was in front of me, I bumped into a gray leg. I yelped and hissed, backing away in defense, and then I instantly stopped what I was doing when I looked up into the angry face of Minnowtail. Her other patrol members stood curiously around her.

“What are you doing here, Florapaw?” Minnowtail hissed, her tail lashing through the air. “Are you spying on us?” There was nervousness in her voice as if she knew that I had noticed that she had gone into Windclan territory without permission from Mistystar.

I swallowed and then took a deep breath, but my words still stuttered from my mouth. “Shadowclan… they’re attacking the camp… Mistystar sent me… me to find you.” I crouched lower as Petalfur and Breezestorm surrounded me with Minnowtail.

“Why didn’t you say so, Florapaw?” Petalfur asked kindly. Even after mentioning that the camp and Clan was being attacked by another Clan, her fur was still flat with calm certainty and her eyes were full of concern for me than the others at the moment. “Come with us to the camp and let’s teach Shadowclan a lesson!”

Together, the patrol and I raced back to the camp, the sounds of battle getting louder. I unsheathed my claws, ready to attack any cat that didn’t belong to Riverclan. Running beside Petalfur, I noticed she was ready as well.

The gray-and-white she-cat looked down at me and slowed down her pace a little. I matched mine to hers and waited to hear what she wanted to say. “How long have you been waiting for our patrol? Not too long I hope,” she mewed as we leaped over a fallen tree across from the tree-bridge to the island.

I hesitated, wondering how long I had actually been waiting for them. It had only been a little past sunhigh when Brownpaw had come to fetch Mistystar. I looked up into the sky and noticed that the sky was beginning to turn pink with dusk. I gasped noticing how late it was getting. “I’ve been waiting since about sunhigh,” I muttered, pushing my paws forward; we needed to get to camp, fast.

“Sunhigh!?” Petalfur exclaimed, her fur now bushing out. “We need to hurry.” Petalfur sped off, shooting past Minnowtail and Breezestorm. They shrugged and took off at full speed, leaving me to try and stay with them on my short legs.

The patrol had disappeared from my sight but the camp was visible at last. Screeches split through the cooling air, sparking the usual peacefulness. Threats

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escaped through the reeds and into my ears, causing anger to build a growl up into my throat. For a second I stopped outside the bushy entrance into camp, thinking about what I had to do. But there wasn’t time for that; my Clan needed me now.

With a yowl, I sprang from the entrance, causing some heads to turn in my direction. Almost at once I skidded to a halt just inside the camp, the surprise of battle catching me off guard. I fell over as Reedwhisker fought a tortoiseshell she-cat and caused her to trip over my back of bushed fur. I yowled and jumped her, scaring her with my sudden attack. The she-cat tore through the reeds and disappeared from the camp.

“Good job, Florapaw,” Reedwhisker hollered over the sounds of battle. “And good thing you got here with the patrol when you did; we were beginning to lose, but now we have the advantage.” He took off with a screech, chasing down a cream-white-and-gray she-cat.

I took a short time to examine the damage done so far by the battling. The dens were left untouched, though someone had gotten caught n the brambles of the apprentices’ den because there were traces of brown fur left behind. The camp itself was blood-stained everywhere, and the sand was shuffled about from the scuffling paws that battled on it. A few reeds around the camp boundary had been torn up by the roots, but it wasn’t anything to worry about. What I didn’t like was the fact that there were a couple of unmoving cats lying around the camp.

A golden flash went past my eyes. Mothwing squealed in terror as a brown tabby tom clawed at her haunches, chasing the old healer around the camp. I crouched down, a growl leaving my throat as a yowl as I leaped onto the tom’s back. He howled in alarm, my claws pricking his skin under his fur as I tried to hold on. The tom began shaking back and forth, trying to release me off his back, but I had a good grip. I carefully watched for the drop-and-roll counter as I bent down into the neck of the tom, just enough to draw some blood and cause some pain. I knew I had succeeded because no sooner did I taste the salty tang of blood did the tom yowl and squirm in pain. While he continued trying to shake me off, this time bucking a little, I kept my balance, kept a hold on the cat with y other paw, lifted my right one and brought unsheathed claws onto his muzzle. Blood welled p from the wound, a screech of stinging pain left his mouth, and I soon was watching the tom tear through the reeds and back towards Shadowclan territory. I cheered in success and turned around.

I stopped where I was when I found Spottedpaw standing a couple pawsteps away from me, staring at me with surprise. Her smile that built on her usually tensed face showed pride and happiness towards me.

“Do you know that you just chased off the Shadowclan deputy, Tigerheart?” she squealed, hopping carefully over to me. “I can’t believe you just did that!”

“Well, you better believe it, because there’s a lot more cats to go around!” Whisperpaw called over the battling cats. “We’ll celebrate her skills later when we defeat Shadowclan!” She yowled after a cream she-cat, her fur stained red with blood.

I took her advice and left my sister to attend to the wounded of our Clan and stalked around battling cats. It seemed my Clanmates didn’t need my help but I still searched for that one struggling Clanmate that might need an extra paw.

I was surprised when I found that one Clanmate ending up being Mistystar. A darker colored ginger tom had my leader pinned to the ground, his teeth embedded in her neck. I knew that was Shadowclan followed the warrior code, but at times they could be as ruthless as rouges, and that’s exactly what this cat was doing. Mistystar was already old and weaker than when she first became leader, and I wasn’t about to let her lose a life to this Shadowclan cat.

Silently I crept up behind the Shadowclan tom. Unsheathing my claws, I lifted a front paw and sliced down on the tender spot of the tom’s back leg. He howled in pain, letting my mentor go, and then turned on me, his eyes filled with fury. I gulped when I found myself staring into the face of Shadowclan’s leader, Rowenstar.

“Do you think you can fight me, little apprentice?” Rowenstar spat in my face. “I don’t think so.” I was startled by fear, so I couldn’t move, causing me to be wide open for the leader’s attack. He landed a blow on my head with unsheathed claws, sending me to the ground, and then he bit into my shoulder, causing me to screech in agony.

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Blood dripped over my eyes, my head stung from claw wounds left by Rowenstar’s attack, and my wounded shoulder could barely hold my weight. When I looked up again, I knew I was doomed for a major injury. Rowenstar had lifted himself on his back legs, performing a move called the upright lock that I had seen the one day Whisperpaw and Swiftpaw practicing. Instantly I remembered the moves Whisperpaw had used to counter this attack easily.

Getting to my paws and crouching away from the flailing paws of the Shadowclan leader, I tensed up my muscles, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, and then pushed off from the ground, ramming into the exposed belly of the leader, using the move head-butt that Mistystar had said she’d teach me later in my training. Rowenstar coughed in agony from the force I had put into the attack, and then he was flying across the camp’s clearing, past his Clanmates staring after their leader, and then landing against the trunk of a tree. Slowly, I stalked towards the unmoving Rowenstar, and then did my best to tower over the downed leader.

I could barely contain the laughter inside me when I noticed that Rowenstar had landed in a thorn bush underneath the tree. His pelt was full of thorns and his right side was bloody from scrapes from the tree bark. From the wounds he had obtained after that, I knew he was finished with this battle.

Leaning down close to the ginger tom’s ear, I hissed, “If you never want to look like a fool in front of your Clan ever again, never attack Riverclan, otherwise an apprentice, most likely me, will have to defeat you all over again without little effort. You understand me, Rowenstar?”

“Crystal clear,” he growled rasply. Struggling to his paws, he bore into my fur with green eyes. “Just be careful how close you get to the Shadowclan border because you haven’t seen the last of Shadowclan.” Turning to his Clanmates, the leader shouted, “Shadowclan, retreat!” With that single command, the Shadowclan cats flowed out of the camp like a river, leaving the camp in total wreckage and wounded, just like my Clanmates.

A dizzy feeling hit my head, and then everything was spinning around me as I collapsed to the ground. I could feel my Clanmates gathering worriedly around me. I heard a shout from Willowshine, a cry from Spottedpaw, and then everything went black.


Apprentice- FlorapawDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyesHealer Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes


Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)Duskfur- brown she-cat with green eyesMinnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyes

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Pebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- CherrypawStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyesSheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyesMudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Apprentice- BrownpawIcewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesApprentice- BrookpawRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesMossyfoot- brown-and-white she-catWhispersnow- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftshadow- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyes

Apprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Florapaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesSpottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesCherrypaw- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookpaw- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownpaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Queens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; expecting Reedwhisker’s kitsFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Nursing Rainclaw’s kits: Stormkit, Rainkit, Sharkkit, and SweetkitElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and Spottedpaw

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Mothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

Murmuring filled my ears as my head pounded in pain. I could feel a cool paw placing herbs on my forehead where Rowenstar had wounded me, the stinging nothing compared to the pain of the wound. I figured that I had fainted from blood loss from my head. Through the rest of the fight with Rowenstar I had never once acknowledged how much the wound had been bleeding, blinding me through the battle with blood from time to time. Now I wished I had seen Willowshine, but that would’ve meant running from my battle, and I wasn’t going to have myself be seen as a coward by the Shadowclan leader. Besides that point, Mistystar had needed help; otherwise she probably would be on the ground losing a life.

A light breath tickled my ear. “Florapaw, please wake up.” It was Spottedpaw, fear shaking her voice. Normally a healer wouldn’t express her fear for a wounded cat, but Spottedpaw had every right: she was my sister, she was young, and she was new at being a healer. I knew that in time her fear for me would die away and she would become souly dedicated to her healer duties.

Other voices prayed to Starclan that I would be alright, and my father pleaded from beside Spottedpaw that they wouldn’t take me away as they had Leopardstar, my mother. I needed to show my Clanmates that I was going to be okay, that I was just a little shaken from my first battle ever.

I stirred to show them that I was waking from my faint. A moan escaped my mouth as my muscles tensed and knotted in pain from the battle and the training session before that. Happiness and relief flooded me from my Clanmates, and I could feel the soft eyes of Willowshine urging me to wake up fully from my faint. Finally, I opened my eyes.

At first my vision had been blurred, but slowly I was able to make out everything in front of me. Willowshine was the first cat I saw, herbs placed at her paws. Now that I was aware of everything around me, I could feel the stickiness on my fur from the herb juices my healer had placed on my wounds. Spottedpaw instantly took that feeling away when she hopped in front of my face.

“Florapaw, you’re okay!” she cried, giving me a light lick on the cheek. “I was so scared that I was going to lose you.”

My throat felt dry when I spoke. “Spottedpaw, you need to stop over reacting sometimes,” I rasped jokingly. “Honestly, Starclan probably won’t have me join their ranks until I’m an elder.”

My ear twitched and my over sensitive hearing caught something from Willowshine’s whispering mumble that. “Don’t be sure about when Starclan wishes to have you.” Then she lifted her head and announced, “I believe Florapaw will be okay. She just had a slight faint from the wounds, but at least give her room to breathe!”

I rolled onto my stomach and noticed that the Clan were about to crowd around me in relief, but Willowshine must not of wanted me to get stressed out. Instead, Mistystar called the Clan to gather underneath the Riverrock for Clan meeting. I stayed near the edge of my gathered Clanmates where I had collapsed after the battle, lying next to Willowshine, my sister, and our father.

The sky had turned pink with dusk as the sun sunk below the trees. Mistystar stood on the Riverrock at the edge of the lake, her body silhouetted against the darkening sky, where one star of Silverpelt began to shine brightly. Mistystar sat

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down on the rock that was her den underneath, wrapped her tail around her paws, and began to speak.

“As you know, Shadowclan had attacked our camp without any warning,” Mistystar started. “What the reason was, we’ll have to find out at the next Gathering, but this unjust attack will not be forgotten! We won this battle, and we did not cower down in defeat, while Shadowclan will be moping around because they are weak.

“We couldn’t have won this battle without Florapaw,” she continued, pointing her tail at me, pride filling her eyes. “She fought her hardest, even with how young and inexperienced she is, and beat two of the best warriors in Shadowclan: Tigerheart, their deputy, and as you, and Shadowclan saw, she beat Rowenstar as well. She saved my life and came just in time with the patrol by the Windclan border to help us win this battle. I would like to give thanks to our youngest apprentice, and very soon her time will come to become a warrior, but for now, she will train until she is full ready.”

The Clan lifted their heads and cheered, “Florapaw! Florapaw!” and I felt like I was becoming an apprentice all over again. When I never responded, the Clan all turned their heads towards me and gave compliments over compliments until Mistystar called for their attention.

“Today was a hard battle, and we need to rest and repair the camp from the damage left behind,” Mistystar pointed out, “but in the meantime, I would like to ask Weedfrost and Robinwing: Are your apprentices ready to become warriors?”

Weedfrost stared down at her apprentice Swiftpaw, who sat up straight and proud. The brown-and-white she-cat locked her gaze with Mistystar’s, and mewed matter-of-factly, “Swiftpaw is more than ready to become a warrior of Riverclan.”

“And so is Whisperpaw,” Robinwing replied from the front of the Clan, his apprentice shaking with joy.

“Good,” she purred, standing up on the Riverrock. “Come forward my apprentices.” Swiftpaw and his mentor moved towards the front of the Clan, and Swiftpaw placed himself beside Whisperpaw, staring up at our leader. “I, Mistystar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.

“Swiftpaw and Whisperpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior, and to protect and defend your Clan even at the cost of your lives?”

Both apprentices lifted their heads to their leader, their eyes flashing the colors of the dusky sky. “I do,” they both promised, nodding to each other and to Mistystar.

I watched as the moon appeared from behind the trees, turning Mistystar’s pelt silver. “Then I give you your warrior names.” My leader leaped from the meeting rock, landing in a crouch before the unnamed warriors of her Clan. She stepped towards Swiftpaw. “Swiftpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Swiftshadow. You have defined courage and unbreakable loyalty, and I am proud to name you as a warrior of Riverclan.” Mistystar dipped her head, touching her nose to Swiftshadow’s head. After a second, the new warrior dipped his head away and licked his leader’s shoulder with respect before backing away and settling down beside his old mentor. He looked over in my direction and smiled, but I just looked away, knowing that the den would be different without him and that there would be nothing between us now.

Our leader now moved onto Whisperpaw as more stars of Silverpelt brightened up the gray sky. “Whisperpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Whispersnow. You are a concentrated fighter, and have great respect for those older than you. Well done on becoming a warrior at last.” Mistystar and Whispersnow repeated the formal bow and lick, and then the new warrior placed herself between Swiftshadow and her old mentor Robinwing. Silence gripped the camp for a moment before the Clan cheered as loud as they could for the new Riverclan warriors. I sighed, not wanting to be hateful and called out the new warriors’ names.

Since the Clan was still cheering, I stubbornly got to my wobbly paws and jumped into the air, calling out Swiftshadow’s name. His head turned to me, his eyes lighting up in happiness. He started pushing towards me and then stopped as he watched me land and then crumple to the ground, withering in pain. The Clan

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grew silent as Willowshine stumbled towards me, yelling at Spottedpaw to fetch herbs and cobwebs. What happened afterwards, I don’t know, because I felt as good as dead as my eyes closed to darkness.

Swiftshadow

It had made me happy to know that Florapaw wasn’t mad that I became a warrior and was leaving her so I could sleep in the warriors’ den. I had watched through all my Clanmates as she stubbornly had gotten to her paws and started jumping up and down, calling my name. I tried pushing through my complimenting Clanmates, wanting to reach Florapaw as quickly as I could so I could be with her. Then everything stuttered to a halt as she fell to the ground in pain, blood welling from her injured shoulder.

I reached her side before Willowshine, who had been shocked and then started yelling for her apprentice to get herbs. I knew it was already too late, that the Clan was going to lose Florapaw; she had lost so much blood earlier already. Soon, her body was relaxing and her eyes closed, and just as I was about to cry out for her to not leave me, I noticed her sides heaving with the painful effort to breathe. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth, and prayed to Starclan that she was going to be okay soon.

Spottedpaw returned with marigold and cobwebs to put on Florapaw’s shoulder really quick until they could move her into the healers’ den. “Why don’t I help you, Willowshine, and carry her to a nest inside?” I suggested, my eyes pleading to her that I could help.

“Okay, but we must move slowly and carefully,” Willowshine mewed, moving into place at Florapaw’s haunches. “Grab her by the scruff, and we’ll carry her parallel to the ground without her shoulder touching the earth.” The gray she-cat leaned down and grabbed Florapaw’s haunches gently in her mouth. I followed and carefully bit down on the fur of the apprentices’ neck and lifted her front half into the air.

It was a slow, but a successful move. Florapaw was in a nest of feathers and moss in no time, not once bumping into anything on her way into her nest in healers’ den. Spottedpaw followed closely behind, fretting that her sister would never get better.

“Florapaw will be back in shape in a couple of days, I’m sure,” I mewed to Spottedpaw, but looking to Willowshine for support. “She will, right?”

“It all depends on how fast her wounds will heal,” Willowshine replied, disappearing down the tunnel to her den where she stored all her herbs. “Spottedpaw, come down here and help me!”

I was left alone with Florapaw as Spottedpaw fled down the tunnel to her calling mentor. I leaned towards the fainted apprentice, sniffing her shoulder. It smelled foul with the herbs plus all the dried blood that still was to be washed from her fur. I rested my head on the edge of her nest and gazed at Florapaw’s face, hoping, and wishing, that she would wake up.

Suddenly, I found that I was being woken up by Willowshine. I hadn’t even known I had fallen asleep next to Florapaw’s nest. “You should go and do your vigil with Whispersnow before it gets too late,” she mewed quietly. “I’ll have Spottedpaw come and tell you if there’s any change during your time in the camp. Good luck, and remember,” she added, turning back towards her den, “you must stay silent until dawn.”

I got to my paws, reluctant to leave Florapaw’s side, but I needed to do my vigil in order to become a fully recognized warrior by Starclan. Before leaving, I wished her good dreams, begged her to get better, and then left her with a lick on her cheek, hoping that she would feel it in her mind that I had been there for her.

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Chapter 6Florapaw

Fire licked at my smoke stained fur, the flames crackling in the air, throwing hot embers to the sky. Smoke clouded the once star pelted sky, filling my lungs with the toxic smell and causing me to couch uncontrollably. Even when I crouched low to the ground where the smoke wasn’t as bad, I still couldn’t escape it or the heat. I tried to crawl around in search of the safety of the lake and its water where it would kill any flames that followed me, but the smoke clouded my vision that was already beginning to blur.

Many sudden wails made me lift my head back into the smoke. Where could it be coming from? Cries of help surrounded me from all directions and made me wonder if it was just one cat with his call for help echoing. No, these cries were all different, and all in desperate need of help.

I stumbled around, searching for someone. Everytime I felt close to someone, the call would become distant right after. Constantly I had to dodge flames, and fallen burning branches, and then everything was suddenly silent. The cries and pleas had come to a halt, and the fire was gone. I breathed in clean air, my throat not even sore and raspy.

Instead of standing in the Riverclan camp where I wished to be, I stood in a clearing beside a starry filled stream, flowing from the moorlands behind me. I knew that, from listening to Spottedpaw’s first trip here, that this stream would take me to the Moonpool, the sacred place where leaders and healers shared dreams with Starclan, our warrior ancestors.

Florapaw, Florapaw. The voice was quiet, the words lifting on the breeze. My name was called again and again, over and over. Finally, I followed the voice along the stream, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the cat calling my name. No one ever appeared as I climbed a tower of gray rocks, sparkling silver from the moonlight above. A fresh scent of water hit my nose as I climbed down the tower of rocks and onto a dirt path, covered in ancient pawsteps. I knew Spottedpaw had once walked on this very path, as well as Willowshine, Mistystar, and even

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Leopardstar one time. Now my own pawsteps would be left behind with the history of the Clans.

The dirt path brought me to a bramble bush, an opening at the bottom where a cat could crawl underneath to reach the other side. More brambles stood beside this one, protecting what I knew was beyond: the Moonpool. The voice continued to call my name. I crawled under the bush and pulled myself through the brambles, and then stood up awestruck.

My sister had once described the Moonpool to me, but I could never imagine it any better than what I saw before me: a beautiful star-filled pond of fresh water, gently lapping at the edges of the pool. Brightly colored flowers bloomed in the bushes that surrounded the clearing the Moonpool lay. Stepping up to the pool’s edge, I wondered why I was here in the first place.

I stared into the water of the Moonpool, watching the reflection of my face gleam with the stars. In the water, I noticed that the star’s seemed to be moving, but maybe it was just the waving of the water. To make sure I was just seeing things, I gazed up into the darkened night sky to find stars spiraling down from Silverpelt and swirling around me. For some odd reason, my shock and surprise had disappeared and was replaced with relaxation and happiness, fresh scents of Riverclan bringing me back to the memory of home.

I looked back to the Moonpool. A silver shape stood, unmoving on the water’s surface. It started moving forward, slowly taking the shape and looks of a silver tabby she-cat. She stepped onto the ground in front of me, blinking her blue eyes kindly at me.

“Welcome to the Moonpool, Florapaw,” the she-cat greeted, her voice soft and sweet. “I am Feathertail, daughter of Silverstream from Riverclan.”

Fear pulsed through my veins as I realized where this cat was from. Feathertail had died moons ago in the mountains when the Clans had still lived in the forest. She had died killing the nasty Sharptooth that had threatened the Tribe of Rushing Water that lived in the mountains. She had joined the ranks of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, but sometime visited Starclan for special reasons.

“I’m dying aren’t I?” I whimpered, falling to the ground with my head on my paws. “I can’t leave my Clan, not now.”

Feathertail crouched down in front of me. “You are not joining us yet, young apprentice,” she reassured me with a flick of her tail. “There’s just someone here that wants to see you.” Feathertail stepped to the side, revealing the water of the Moonpool was again. Upon the water was a bigger cat, her fur unusually spotted. I gasped and tried to contain my squeal of happiness.

It was my mother, Leopardstar. “I’ve missed you since the battle with the Dark Forest,” I mewed.

“You shouldn’t have to, my daughter,” Leopardstar purred, rubbing her cheek on mine. “I’m by your side always, and I never leave your heart. I wanted to congratulate your successes in the battle against Shadowclan. Blackstar was impressed that an apprentice of your age could defeat his old deputy, and Tigerheart.”

“I was just protecting my Clan,” I told her, sitting up and wrapping my tail around my legs.

Feathertail and Leopardstar’s forms were beginning to fade. “Even at the cost of your life,” my mother added. “I’ll be watching over you, my shaded flower.”

I gasped when my eyes opened and found myself lying in the healers’ den. Last I had remembered was falling to the ground in the middle of the clearing in camp. The scents of herbs, Willowshine and Spottedpaw reached my nose, but another was stronger than the rest: Swiftshadow. He had been here with me, but finally left, most likely for his vigil that was required for any new warrior.

I stirred in my nest, groaning in pain as my shoulder muscles refused to move. I looked down at my shoulder, wanting to cry in despair. My once, muscled shoulder was covered in dried blood and foul smelling herbs. My paw wouldn’t function because any movement of my leg caused my shoulder to tense and out send shocks of pain.

Weak sunlight glittered through the entrance of the healers’ den, where Spottedpaw stirred, trotting to my nest with worried, but relieved eyes. “I’m glad to see you finally up, sis,” she purred, giving me a lick on the cheek. “We were worried you were going to be out for a while yet. Is there anything you need?”

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“An explanation of what happened this time?” I asked, glancing at my shoulder again.

“Oh that,” she muttered, staring down at her paws. “Well, you were jumping up and down for the warrior ceremony; you fell and fainted from the pain for a couple of days from doing so. Swiftshadow and Willowshine had to carry you to this nest so we could properly look at your shoulder. It’s just torn and the bite was deep enough to make it bleed, a lot.”

“So I did smell the scent of Swiftshadow after all,” I huffed, lashing out my tail. “Why would he help me anyways?”

Spottedpaw spat a snort in my face. “I can’t believe you don’t see it, Florapaw,” she laughed. When I didn’t answer and just cocked my head to the side, she sighed. “He likes you, sis, and I know you like him back.”

I looked down at my paws in embarrassment. I could still feel her eyes watching me, and then she was walking away. Lifting my head, I watched Spottedpaw curl up in her nest near the entrance of the den, she sniffed, rested her head on her paws, and in moments she was snoring softly. I decided to use this time to catch up on more sleep since I couldn’t do much at the moment anyways. I placed my chin upon my paws and closed my eyes, wishing that the dreams would stay away. Darkness engulfed me soon, and I slept dreamlessly for a time.

Sunlight soaked into my pelt as it shined through the entrance of the healers’ den. I purred with delight at the warmth it gave me. I could hear that the camp was up and moving. Spottedpaw worked outside the den with her mentor, learning more of the herbs that all healers used in the Clans. Feeling lonely, I sat up in my nest, keeping pressure off my injured leg. I stared out of the healers’ den, wishing someone would visit me.

The Riverrock was in view from the healers’ entrance. I watched as Mistystar bounded up to the top of the rock. “Riverclan, gather for a Clan meeting!” Mumbles and questions followed the call, but eventually all of the Clan, but me, gathered around the bottom of the Riverrock.

“The dawn patrol has returned and given me news of Windclan hunting on or territory,” Mistystar announced. Growls and yowls of protest sounded throughout the camp. Mistystar held her tail up for silence, and the noise quieted down. “The dawn patrol spotted three cats of Windclan disappearing with three mice and a rabbit, but they did not pursue. We now have our explanation of why we are finding less and less prey running around.”

“What are we going to do about it, Mistystar?” Minnowtail asked her leader. “Are we going to attack Windclan?” There was anxiety in her voice while her gray tail lashed with anger.

Mistystar yowled for silence. “There will most definitely be an attack,” she replied, “but I want to wait until Florapaw can join us. I want her for the next battle so that I may know her skills are becoming real instead of her victims going easy on her.”

“You honestly believe Shadowclan’s leader and deputy would make it that easy for an apprentice to defeat them?” Reedwhisker yowled to his leader. “Florapaw is the only apprentice that I know that has ever defeated a leader at her age.”

“And look at the injuries she got from it,” Willowshine argued. “She isn’t like Lionblaze from Thunderclan. She’s bound to get hurt, and because she couldn’t avoid all the attacks, she still needs more training to help her out.”

Muttering broke from the other cats in the camp. I sighed in my nest realizing that this whole talk was about me, not Windclan. Obviously, nobody knew I was awake and listening to the gathering in the camp.

Mistystar turned towards the healers’ den, staring straight at Willowshine. “How long do you think it’ll be before Florapaw is okay for battle?”

There was a pause throughout the camp as Willowshine went through her mind. I was left in silence as the rest of the Clan waited for Willowshine to answer, and I was getting antsy with the thoughts of battle. Stubbornly, I pulled my back legs out from under me and slipped them to the ground of the den. My front paws balanced me as I gripped onto my nest. Lastly, I stumbled down on one front paws, keeping my injured leg elevated off the ground. Hobbling over to the entrance, I hid in the shadows to wait for Willowshine’s answer, and hopefully be able to show her that I was healing faster than she thought.

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The gray tabby healer lifted her head and gazed at Mistystar. “I want to say about half a moon before her shoulder will be the right condition.”

This was my time. I hopped from the shadows of the entrance and stopped beside Willowshine, the heads of all my Clanmates snapping in my direction, while Willowshine let out an annoyed hiss. “I should be better in a couple of days,” I mewed to Mistystar.

“That is for Willowshine to say, not you Florapaw,” my mentor replied quietly. Turning to the Clan, she added, “Alright, everybody back to their duties; this meeting is over.”

I felt a sharp tug on my ear. “I don’t know what you are doing getting out of your nest, but you are going back,” Willowshine growled, letting go of my ear. She pushed my towards the den, almost making me go face first into the ground, and hurriedly changed my bedding in my nest as Spottedpaw helped me hobble the rest of the way into the den. “Now stay in your nest until I tell you that you can leave it,” the healer ordered angrily.

I sulked into my clean nest of moss and feathers, and mumbled, “I feel fine. Lying here all day just makes my shoulder stiffen.”

“That’s what they all say, Florapaw,” Willowshine sighed, adding a few more feathers to my nest. “Now, I’ll send a warrior in here to keep you in your nest until Spottedpaw and I get back from collecting herbs. If I hear you disobeyed me, I’ll be adding Mousebile to that poultice already on your shoulder.” With that, the healers left the den and I was left to sulk and growl angrily to myself.

A shadow crept over the entrance to the healers’ den, and Swiftshadow’s scent wafted in. “What do you want, Swiftshadow?” I snorted angrily. “Did you come to gloat, because I’m in no mood to hear it.”

The light brown tom entered the den anyways. “I didn’t come here to make you feel bad,” he replied softly. “I wanted to visit and make you feel better, but if you want me to leave…”

Swiftshadow had lowered his head and was ready to leave when I gave the command. Instead, I just sighed, mewing, “You can stay. I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

“Its fine, Florapaw,” the warrior said a little bit happier. “I know exactly how you feel having to be cooped up in here. I had to go through this not long ago; of course you wouldn’t remember because you were still a kit.”

“You? That’s impossible,” I coughed with a laugh. “I mean, you’re too powerful to be beaten.”

“Sometimes, things don’t go your way,” he muttered. “It was about three moons ago, with a battle against a few rouges that left the Clans after the Dark Forest battle.” Swiftshadow’s voice was becoming distant as he sat on his haunches beside my nest, his eyes gazing back into his past. “The fight took place around the Windclan border. I was on a moonhigh patrol with your father, Mistystar, Reedwhisker, and Pebblefoot. All had been quiet that night, not even the hoot of an owl pierced the silence. Then, out of nowhere, these rouge cats appeared on top of us. Breezepelt was among them, the son of Crowfeather from Windclan. He had left the Clans after the Dark Forest lost the battle and when his father chased him away. Breezepelt was out for revenge, and he looked like he was about to achieve it.

“The rouge was a strong one, considering he had been scrawny,” Swiftshadow continued. “Breezepelt was able to push me to my stomach, with the help of another rouge. Together, the two of them tore their claws down the length of my back, ripping fur from my pelt, and leaving huge claw wounds. The wounds were bleeding uncontrollably, and when Breezepelt was about to inflict another wound, Mistystar and Grasspelt landed on top of them. The other rouges had gone; it had been as if Mistystar and your father had been fighting with all of Starclan’s strength to do it.

“I blacked out, just as you did yesterday.” Swiftshadow gritted his teeth, and his voice was beginning to tense up. “The next day, I woke in this nest, Willowshine gawking over me. She had told me that I shouldn’t have lived after what had happened, that I should’ve been with Starclan.”

I had never felt so terrible in my life. My mind played the battle in my head: Swiftpaw going down to the ground; Breezepelt tearing into the apprentices’ pelt; blood gushing from the wounds. It was everything that a warrior would’ve died from, so why hadn’t Swiftshadow? “Starclan must’ve felt that Riverclan needed you more than they did,” I mewed quietly, bringing my muzzle close to his ear. “I’m glad

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they let you stay; the Clan needs great warriors like you.” I need you, I added in my fuzzy mind.

Swiftshadow’s eyes moved onto me. “Thanks, Florapaw,” he purred. “That’s means a lot to me. It makes me feel like I’m wanted again.”

“What do you mean?”Swiftshadow sighed, turning his body towards me. “Ever since my mother

was killed in the Dark Forest battle, I’ve always pushed myself away from everyone else. I’ve been afraid of becoming too close to someone, only to lose them and be put in more heart break. By doing this, I’ve sort of placed myself as an outcast. For the longest time, I hunted and trained by myself or with just my mentor. Slowly I started doing more with the other apprentices and warriors, but I never went on another patrol since that battle.

“And then you became an apprentice, and I started feeling like I needed to show off,” he continued with a slight chuckle. “More or less I caused more problems for myself because you started to hate me. Then at the Gathering, I tried to show you that I’m not all buff and gruff, but that I can be caring and kind towards others.”

I cocked my head to the side, wondering why he changed so much when I finally became an apprentice. “How am I the cause?” I asked, curling my tail with anxiety. What was I wanting to hear, and would I find out soon?

“I’ll tell you when you’re a warrior,” he purred, placing his paw over mine. “And I’m thinking that it won’t be too much longer before you are.”

I turned my head and stared out of the healers’ den entrance, seeing that the camp was growing dark with dusk. “I hope you’re right, Swiftshadow,” I sighed. Turning my eyes on him, I added, “Maybe you should go rest up for the night. You had your vigil last night and I’m sure you’ll get your first warrior hunt tomorrow.”

His eyes flashed with regret and then understanding. “I guess I should,” he whispered, getting to his paws. Swiftshadow took a few steps away, heading for the entrance before he stopped and looked at me over his shoulder. “Have a good night, Florapaw. I hope you feel better tomorrow.” Before I could say anything in return, Swiftshadow bonded from the den, leaving me alone.

What was this feeling throughout my body that wanted me to tell him to come back? Was I scared that something was about to happen while he was in the warriors’ den? I knew there wasn’t anything to worry about because Willowshine and Spottedpaw were entering the den, herbs layered in their mouths.

“How was your time with Swiftshadow?” Willowshine asked when she placed her herbs at Spottedpaw’s feet. “I figured he’d keep you still while we were gone.”

“It was different,” I muttered dreamily. “And I’d liked to do it again sometime.”


Apprentice- FlorapawDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyes

Apprentice- SharkpawHealer Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes


Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)

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Duskfur- brown she-cat with green eyesMinnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyesPebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesApprentice- RainpawMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesApprentice- StormpawMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesHollowflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- CherrypawStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyesSheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesApprentice- SweetpawBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyesMudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Apprentice- BrownpawIcewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesApprentice- Brookpaw Mossyfoot- brown-and-white she-catFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Rainclaw’s mateRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesWhispersnow- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftshadow- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyesApprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Florapaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesSpottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesCherrypaw- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookpaw- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownpaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesStormpaw- dark gray tom with white paws and green eyesRainpaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyesSharkpaw- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes and black tail

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Sweetpaw- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, chest and bellyQueens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; expecting Reedwhisker’s kitsElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and SpottedpawMothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

The next morning, I lay in my nest, stretching what good legs I had. Willowshine had just applied new poultice on my shoulder wound. She said it was healing well, that there was no infection and that I’d be on my paws sooner than she had thought.

Opening my jaws in a yawn, I thought about hunting again soon, just as the overwhelming scent of mouse caught me off guard. I soon found a mouse be shoved in my mouth, my sister laughing loudly the whole time. I scowled at her as I spat the mouse on the moss of my nest.

“Spottedpaw, what is the matter with you?” I hissed, spitting out mouse fur. “I thought you were healing me, not trying to choke and kill me.”

Spottedpaw was trying her hardest to contain her laughter, but she finally burst out. “I’m sorry, Florapaw,” she chuckled breathlessly. “I just couldn’t help myself when your mouth was so wide open.”

“If my shoulder wasn’t so injured, I’d get you back right now,” I growled playfully, swiping at the air with my good leg.

The moss hanging over the den’s entrance swayed as a brown head pushed into the healers’ den. “Then it’s a good thing that you are injured,” my father growled. “You two aren’t kits anymore, so behave a bit more mature.” His eyes glared down at Spottedpaw, obviously talking more to her than me.

I stared at my father, taken aback by his comment. “Grasspelt, we deserve some fun,” I replied harshly. “I bet you were like this at our age, and there are warriors that still act the same way. If you are so mature, then what did warriors do when you were younger?”

“Don’ ask me, I’m not a warrior anymore,” he spat, turning his back on Spottedpaw and I. “Why don’t you ask Swiftshadow since you both seem pretty close?” I flinched when he mentioned the warriors’ name.

“Bring him to me, and I will,” I countered, curling my paws into my nest. Grasspelt glared at me over my shoulder. I was getting angry with him so it didn’t matter to me if he punished me by disrespecting him as an elder and my father. Thankfully he just gave me a slight growl and then left the den, his pale pelt a little more prickly than usual.

Spottedpaw let out a long breath and then collapsed on the floor of the den. I peeked over the edge of my nest to see if she was alright. She had flipped over on her back, her eyes large with fear.

“You okay?” I asked worriedly.

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“I’m just a little shaken by you getting under our father’s fur,” she admitted, rolling onto her side. “I thought he was going to bite off your tail.”

I snorted, thinking, and knowing, that he would never harm me or Spottedpaw. “Hey, I had to help get us out of that mess,” I purred, cuffing her ear. “It’s what sisters do for each other, even against our parents.”

At dusk, Mistystar had called another meeting of the Clan. Willowshine and Spottedpaw helped me to my paws and guided me out of the healers’ den telling me that they knew I wouldn’t want to miss this meeting. I was oblivious to what was going on until I saw four kits standing tall and anxious before the Riverrock: they were about to become apprentices.

I remember watching the four of them being born when I had still been in the nursery at three moons of age. It had been a stormy night in Riverclan. I had been sleeping beside Spottedpaw when Fernpool, the mate of Rainclaw, let out a loud moan. Spottedkit had lifted her head and raced over to Fernpool. “What’s wrong?” she had asked.

“Go find Willowshine, Spottedkit,” the gray queen had pleaded in pain. “Tell her I’m about to kit.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the pitter patter of rain could be heard on the top of the nursery. I crouched farther to the back of the den, flashes of lightning brightening away the darkness in the den and revealing Fernpool crouched in pain. In only moments Willowshine appeared with herbs and Spottedkit not far behind.

While our Clan’s healer had worked with Fernpool and getting her in a comfortable position, the queen started wailing. Her cries echoed through the camp and brought her mate into the den. “What’s going on?” Rainclaw had demanded. “Is she kitting already?”

“Yes,” Willowshine had sighed, “And she’s doing it almost a moon too early. Her kits are going to small, but I just hope they can live.”

For most of the night Fernpool just laid there, wailing and tensing in pain. Finally her body convulsed once, and Willowshine got into a position behind Fernpool. I craned my neck so I could see what was going on. A small wet bundle had slipped to the floor of the den. Willowshine lifted the bundle into the air, and then placed it before her paws and nipped at something white and slimy looking around the body of a kit. Instantly the healer began licking the wet fur the wrong way, and soon the kit was drying to a gray color and fluffy out slightly. The kit gave a loud mew showing that it was okay. Since this kit had been born in the middle of a storm, Fernpool had named him Stormkit.

This happened for another three kits. The second to come was another tom, a gray-and-white one. He turned out to be the biggest of all four of Fernpool’s litter and had been named Sharkkit. The third kit was a lighter gray tom, and looked exactly like Rainclaw, and sure enough he was named Rainkit. The last kit had worried everyone terribly. It was a very small she-cat, almost as small as a big oak leaf. She was a gray kit with white on her belly, paws, and tail tip. Willowshine wasn’t sure if she would survive, but she was named anyways and had been called Sweetkit.

Now the kits were standing tall and healthy in the middle of the camp. I couldn’t believe that they were already six moons because of how small they still were. Fernpool was leaning into Rainclaw, watching her kits with that motherly and proud look in her eyes.

Mistystar stepped to the edge of the Riverrock and called for silence once the whole Clan had gathered. “We are gathered today to watch four young kits become apprentices at last,” she mewed to the Clan. “Stormkit, Sharkkit, Rainkit, and Sweetkit have reached their sixth moon, and are at last ready to become apprentices.” Mistystar turned to Stormkit, his gray fur fluffing up with nervousness. “Stormkit, from this moment, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Stormpaw. You shall be mentored by Petalfur.” The gray-and-white she-cat stepped up to her new apprentice and tapped noses with Stormpaw. “Petalfur,” the blue-gray leader continued, “you are a cat of loyalty and speed, teach all that you know to Stormpaw.”

When Petalfur and Stormpaw sat at the front of the Clan, Mistystar moved on to the other kits. “Sharkkit, you shall be known as Sharkpaw. You mentor is a cat with great strength and that will do everything possible to make you a warrior. You

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shall be mentored by Reedwhisker.” Sharkpaw leaped to his paws and gasped with surprise; it was an honor to be mentored by a deputy, and definitely a leader. Reedwhisker appeared from the Clan, and said something to his new apprentice before touching noses and sitting down with the others.

“Rainpaw, you shall become Rainpaw and train with your mentor Pebblefoot,” Mistystar continued with a flick of her tail, beckoning the mottled gray warrior to come to his apprentice. “Pebblefoot, you are young, but have great concentration and are ready for another apprentice. You did well with Rushflight and I would like to see you do the same with Rainpaw.”

Pebblefoot bowed his head. “I will do my best as always, Mistystar,” he mewed. Turning around, Pebblefoot lowered his head and tapped his nose on Rainpaw’s white splashed muzzle before they tapped their noses together and sitting down.

“Lastly, Sweetkit,” Mistystar mewed, “you shall be known as Sweetpaw until you have earned your warrior name. I see a future of great promise and strength from you. You shall be mentored by Soulsong.”

“I will train harder than any apprentice,” Sweetpaw promised Mistystar as her blue-white mentor stepped up beside Sweetpaw.

“I will make sure you do just that,” Soulsong chuckled, touching her nose to Sweetpaw’s.

When Sweetpaw and Soulsong settled down beside Stormpaw and his mentor, the Clan cheered for the new apprentices. “Stormpaw! Sharkpaw! Rainpaw! Sweetpaw!”

The Clan’s cheers died down and Mistystar could be heard once more. “The Clan is becoming stronger than ever before. The apprentices’ den is full, and there are now more warriors on the way. We are strong and will not let anyone-”

A screech and a flap of wings cut off Mistystar’s words. The Clan looked up yowled in panic. My eyes widened as a silhouette of an owl against the dusky red sky flew closer to the camp. Sharp talons glinted in the dying sunlight, and its brown feathers had turned red with the dusk light.

“Get everyone in the dens!” Mistystar hollered above the cries of terror. She leaped down from the rock and helped the Clan’s only queen, Brightsoul, and her kits into the nursery. Warriors were helping the elders into their den before racing off to the warriors’ den for protection as well. The apprentices had all fled and hid in the apprentices’ den, and the camp was beginning to empty.

Teeth embedded themselves into my scruff, and started to pull me to my paws. I flailed, thinking that an owl had gotten me, but some harsh words from Spottedpaw told me that it was just Willowshine helping me get to the healers’ den. Both healers were flanking my sides, but my injury was slowing us down, causing me to stumble constantly on their paws.

Another owl had taken flight in the darkening sky. It swooped down into the camp, almost grabbing Reedwhisker with its talons, but barely missing his back. The owl turned in mid flight, flapping around the camp. Its snowy white feathers shook with the breeze of flying, and those gold eyes were filled with hunger.

We were almost to the healers’ den when Spottedpaw let out a warning. The first owl was coming at us, its claws outstretched. Willowshine reacted instantly, swiping out a paw and slashing at the wings, but the owl was too close. It caught hold of Willowshine’s shoulder and pulled her to the ground while also pulling away her support on my shoulder making me fall to the ground. She screeched as the claws dug into the healer’s skin, causing blood to well from the wound.

“Willowshine!” Spottedpaw cried, flying towards her mentor. I called for her to come back, but it was useless. I couldn’t chase after her when my shoulder put me out of even balance. With the pain it was causing me now, I knew I wouldn’t be moving.

Swiftshadow appeared, pushing my sister away from her struggling mentor before leaping on top of the owl’s brown, feathery back. He bit into the neck of the big preying bird, causing it to screech and turn its head around, trying to snap at Swiftshadow’s face with its pointy beak. The owl let poor Willowshine go, but she was in shock and wouldn’t move.

The owl was starting to take flight once more, Swiftshadow still clinging to its back. The warrior latched onto a wing of the owl, making the bird fall to one side, but he then let go. The owl screeched into the cooling night air, circling the camp with the other owl.

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“Willowshine, are you okay?” Spottedpaw wailed, running past Swiftshadow to reach her mentor.

“I’m fine, but you need to get Florapaw and yourself into the den,” Willowshine hissed, her eyes glazed with pain.

Swiftshadow reached my side. “I’ll help Florapaw into the den while Spottedpaw can help you,” he objected. “That way we’re all safe.” He never waited for an answer from the healer and pushed me to my paws. In surprise, Swiftshadow lowered himself to the ground and slid underneath my low stomach, lifting me into the air on his back. I clung to him with my good leg lightly wrapped around his neck, afraid of falling again.

Darkness engulfed us as we entered the healers’ den. The screeches of the hungry owls could even be heard down in the tunnel of the den where my nest was waiting. Swiftshadow had slowed his pace down to a halt at my nest. He had me facing my nest so I could slide myself right in.

Swiftshadow helped me pull my back legs into my nest. “There, are you comfortable now, Florapaw?” he asked, fluffing out the feathers in my nest with his nose. The tip of a feather’s stem poked him in the nose and he sat back to rub it.

I chuckled and then sighed. “I’ll be better when I know Willowshine and Spottedpaw are okay. Thank you though for saving both Willowshine and then me from being owl food.”

“That’s what a warrior does,” he mewed.“That’s what a Clan cat does,” I corrected with a flick of my tail. “And you are

a pure Clan cat.”“Thanks,” Swiftshadow purred. There was a small moment of silence in the

den before he spoke again. “Would you like me to stay in here until Willowshine and your sister get back?”

“I would like that,” I agreed, relaxing down in my nest. “It gets lonely and boring in here when I’m alone.”

Swiftshadow lowered himself to the cold ground. “Then I’ll just be down here if you need me,” he mewed.

“Wait.” My word halted the warrior and he lifted his head. I patted my nest with my good paw. “Why don’t you lay with me and stay warm. I’m sure it’s a little cold down there.”

He looked away, gazing out of the entrance to the healers’ den. “Are you sure you want me to?”

I nodded my head and smiled. He smiled back before getting to his paws and carefully sliding into the open space next to me. I purred as his fur brushed against my spotted pelt, and felt his tail twined around with mine. I rested my head happily on my paws, closing my eyes and wishing for a peaceful sleep with Swiftshadow. Was this really happening between me and him?

My question was answered in a few moments with the next three words that left his mouth. “I love you, Florapaw,” he whispered in my ear, placing a lick on my cheek. He must’ve thought that I had fallen asleep and that I wouldn’t have heard it. “Have a good night.”

I love you too, Swiftshadow, I purred in my mind. With my happiness fulfilled, I was finally able to curl up in a forever sleep beside the one cat I could love and trust with knowing that I wouldn’t lose him like I had my mother and foster mother.

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Chapter 8In a couple of days, with Willowshine’s careful care, I was allowed to go back

into warrior training as long as I took it easy. Mistystar was pleased with this news, but she still didn’t think it was the right time to attack Windclan; not until she felt I knew the right moves for it.

She had Sweetpaw and her mentor join us for battle training at sunhigh. Soulsong had told Mistystar that her apprentice was ready to start taking on another of the apprentices and wanted to try having her battling me, since I was the youngest of the older apprentices.

“Sweetpaw, use what you know on Florapaw,” Mistystar ordered the gray tabby apprentice. “But remember, this is just practice so both of you keep your claws sheathed. Begin!”

Sweetpaw instantly fell into a crouch and began circling me. I copied her movement, keeping my old shoulder wound out of her sight; she knew it was still weak and that attacking it would help her win the fight. We continued this circling until the apprentice made a move on me and lunged. She flew through the air at me, her paws outstretched, and I knew exactly how to avoid this.

Quickly, I threw myself to the ground, sliding under her paws and rolling onto my back. Her shadow crept over me as her body flew over mine. I outstretched my legs and curled my paws around the back of Sweetpaw’s back legs, right where the tendons were, and pulled on them. She tumbled to the ground and rolled away from me where I saw my chance to counter attack her. I skidded to a halt, and then leaped at the apprentice as she tried to regain her balance. She hadn’t gone tumbling to the ground on her side like Mistystar had in our training session, but she still wasn’t ready for my attack.

Sweetpaw squealed with surprise as I grabbed her scruff in my jaws. She tried to pulled away from me, but I had her in a tight grip, but not enough to prick the skin under her fur. Next I shook my head from side to side, shaking her neck and smaller head while my paws kept her pinned to the ground. With this scruff shake move, Sweetpaw would become dizzy and unable to attack directly, and that would be to any enemy’s advantage.

I sprang away from Sweetpaw, knowing that she had enough to become dizzy. Sure enough, the tabby apprentice was stumbling around the training clearing shaking her head lightly to try and possibly clear it. I sat in the middle of the clearing chuckling inside as the apprentice wobbled around me and never once coming close to hitting me with her flailing paws. At last, she stumbled to the ground with a hiss and gave up.

Soulsong nodded to me as she helped her apprentice to her paws. “Sweetpaw,” her mentor mewed to her dizzy apprentice, “remember this: don’t let your enemies come anywhere near your neck and you’ll be fine.”

Sweetpaw groaned and flopped back to the ground. “I wish you had told me that before.”

“Soulsong probably wanted you to find out for yourself on how dangerous it would be if your enemy did get a hold of you there,” Mistystar told the apprentice. “Many cats have died because of it. Now we have ways to keep away from those

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attacks, like the scruff shake. Soulsong will stay here with you and teach you while I take Florapaw out hunting.”

Mistystar nodded for me to leave the clearing while she spoke to Soulsong for a moment. I pushed through the bushes and sat outside the training area to wait for my mentor. It was quiet on this side of the bushes and I was able to think clearing on what had been going on the last couple of days.

Since the owl attack the camp has been on their toes, fear always in their eyes. Willowshine and elders saw the attack as a very bad omen for the future and that everybody had to be alert at all times. I thought that it was just coincidence that the owls had been out at the time of day. Willowshine thankfully was okay and that her shoulder had healed much quicker than mine had. Spottedpaw was still freaked about the attack and never wanted anything like that again. Swiftshadow… well he was just in a daze; all the cats were saying that he looked moony, and that’s when he would get defensive.

That same night of the owl attack, Willowshine and Spottedpaw had finally come back into the healers’ den and found Swiftshadow and I sleeping together in my small nest. They had actually thought it as cute and a good sign for our futures, but when Mistystar found out, she was frustrated because she believed that high feelings for someone would kill my concentration on learning to become a warrior.

The bushes rustled and Mistystar appeared. “Ready to hunt for the Clan, my apprentice?” she asked with a whisk of her tail as she turned towards the reeds.

“One question first,” I mewed. “Why did you have Sweetpaw try and fight me when she knows only maybe one or two moves?”

“I wanted to make sure that you were still on track and haven’t forgotten anything while you were in the healers’ den,” she replied. “Now let’s get going.”

You probably meant to say while I was with Swiftshadow, I growled in my head, trotting after my mentor as she slinked towards the reeds with speed. She crouched down and so I halted knowing that she had spotted some prey. Her tail waved just barely over the ground, keeping her balance as she steadied her breathing and stalked her prey.

I turned away, checking for a scent in the other direction of the prey Mistystar was hunting. A strong scent of rabbit was coming from over the Windclan border that I just noticed was extremely close by. Why did Mistystar come so close to the border to hunt? Was she trying to show that she knew that Windclan was hunting in our territory?

I shrugged when a rabbit hopped from the bushes on our territory. I looked around to check for any Windclan cats over the border, and saw that it was clear. Crouching low, I slowed down my breathing and relaxed. My whiskers twitched as my stomach growled with hunger, and I begged for it to be quiet. The rabbit was only a few mouse lengths from me, and soon either the Clan or I had a big meal coming.

The rabbit hopped a little closer and stopped, sniffing the brush in front of it for berries. I quietly stalked into the open and brought myself slowly to the rabbit. I checked constantly for twigs so that I wouldn’t make the mistake of making a sound and startling the prey over the border. Finally I was in leaping distance and jumped.

“Florapaw, no!” I fell short of the rabbit as Mistystar’s voice startled it away. I crouched in place, glaring after the white bobbing tail as the rabbit disappeared into the hills of Windclan territory. Growling with anger of losing a good bit of prey for the Clan, I grumbled my way to my mentor.

“Why did you do that?” I hissed when I reached Mistystar.“Don’t use that tone with me, Florapaw,” she growled, narrowing her eyes.

“Anyways, we have more than enough prey between now and the next hunting patrol. Besides, we shouldn’t be hunting rabbits; they’re Windclan prey.” I looked down at my mentor’s feet, seeing only a mouse and a small shrew and fish. Yeah, that’s a whole lot, I snarled to myself.

“It was on our territory and it could have fed the whole elders’ den!” I pointed out, my tail lashing with anger. “If prey crosses over the border from the moorland, than it’s ours and not theirs.”

“You are right about that,” Mistystar mewed, “but by hunting rabbits they will accuse us of stealing their prey when at the moment they are doing it themselves.”

My leader picked up the mouse and shrew and nodded for me to get the fish. “Let’s get back to camp. You have a sunset patrol you need to be on time for.”

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The camp was fairly relaxed when Mistystar and I arrived. Only one patrol was due to go out hunting, though the fresh-kill pile didn’t need any more on it, but the other cats took this as a chance to nap a little. Sweetpaw and Soulsong were still not back yet, and it looked like my sister was gone collecting herbs. The elders were snoozing in the sunlight outside their den, and Brightsoul was speaking with Willowshine calmly. It was calmest I had seen the camp since the owl attack.

Mistystar dropped her fresh-kill on the pile while I took the fish to the elders’ den. My father was snoozing in front of the entrance in a full circle of sunlight. I opened my jaws and let the fish flop down in front of his nose and startling him awake. I was still unhappy about the way he had talked to Spottedpaw and I the couple days ago, so I wasn’t going to wake him nicely.

“Did you catch this yourself?” he grumbled.“Sorry to disappoint you, but no,” I growled with a lash of my tail. “Mistystar

caught that and the rest of the fresh-kill we brought in.” Before Grasspelt could say anything, I left the elders to their meal and trudged to the apprentices’ den.

Inside the den, Sharkpaw and Rainpaw were still sleeping. I prodded both of them awake. They lifted their heads with a glare and sighed with annoyance. “What do you want Florapaw?” Sharkpaw asked with a yawn.

“Aren’t you both supposed to be training with your mentors like Sweetpaw and Stormpaw?” I reminded them with a hiss.

The brothers looked at each other with fear. “I can’t believe nobody woke us!” Rainpaw exclaimed, scrambling out of his nest.

“You two aren’t kits anymore,” I pointed out. “You should be able to wake yourselves,” I called after them as they disappeared from the den and into the camp. Instantly I heard Pebblefoot scolding her apprentice for getting up so late, and I could just imagine what Reedwhisker might be saying to Sharkpaw: “You are lazy for getting up so late. Go clean out the elders den with Rainpaw.”

I shook my head with disbelief and sought out my nest. It was good to be back in the apprentices’ den, but it felt crowded at night now with the four new apprentices. Sweetpaw and I had chatted a lot the other night, becoming friends instantly, but also getting scolded at by Brookpaw and Brownpaw, the eldest of the apprentices. Sharkpaw would talk in his sleep, and kick Cherrypaw in the middle of night while dreaming of chasing prey. Thankfully Rainpaw slept silently, but Stormpaw on the other hand would snore loudly on the quietest of nights.

Now I was alone in the den, but only until sunset when I was needed for the patrol. I would be patrolling the Windclan border tonight with Swiftshadow, Reedwhisker, Sharkpaw, and Mossyfoot, and hopefully we would find Windclan scent crossing our border. If they were, it meant Riverclan would be able to teach them a lesson for stealing our prey.

I knew that I would need every moment of rest, so I quickly cleared my mind and rested my head on my paws. Closing my eyes, I tried to think of my time with Swiftshadow in the healers’ den that night of the owl attack. I had fallen asleep easily when I had been beside him, and I found out that thinking about that night helped me fall asleep just as quickly. Sure enough, I was out in a blink of an eye.

A paw shook me awake in what felt like a few moments. I blinked opened my tired eyes, my vision clearing on Swiftshadow. He smiled when I gave a yawn and stretched past him. “Rough day of training?” he chuckled with a wave of his tail.

I shrugged, padding across the clearing to where the rest of our patrol waited. “Practicing battle moves against an apprentice that hadn’t any training wasn’t hard,” I snorted. “But I will admit that Sweetpaw may grow out to be a dangerous warrior.”

Swiftshadow gave a nod. “Every apprentice does, Florapaw,” he mused, while adding to Reedwhisker, “I believe we are ready to leave.”

The black deputy gave a sniff and flicked his tail for Swiftshadow, Mossyfoot, Sharkpaw and I to follow. We leaped the reed barrier that was beginning to dry up from the lack of rain. I remembered the tales of when the lake had dried up, and the rivers flowed to only a small trickle. “All around the lake territories, rivers and streams steamed dry from the drought Starclan put us in,” Blackclaw had told Spottedpaw and I when we were kits. “Amazingly, the lake dried up as well, and Riverclan became nervous; without water, there would be no fish. To keep the other Clans away from our food supply, we claimed rights over the lake and started

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patrolling it all the way around. Firestar had probably been right about the lake being owned by no one, but Leopardstar wasn’t about to let her Clan die.

“Finally, a theory was proposed back in Thunderclan from the great ears of Dovewing, but she had only been an apprentice and knew nothing about being one of the three prophesied cats. She could hear down the river between Shadowclan and her territory that there were these brown animals blocking the river with logs, stopping the flow of the river water from reaching the lake. At the next Gathering, the leaders decided to send two cats from each Clan to the blockage: Toadfoot and Tigerheart from Shadowclan, Lionblaze and Dovewing from Thunderclan, Sedgewhisker and Whitetail from Windclan, and Petalfur and Rippletail from Riverclan.

“On the way, the chosen cats met some kittypets that told them that the brown animals were called beavers. These beavers were nasty and fought with claws and huge teeth, and even the flat, heavy tails could do some damage. Together, the Clan cats and kittypets were able to come up with a plan to unblock the river without getting killed. Most of the plan worked, but Rippletail died during a fight with the beavers. In moments, the Clan cats were flowing down the river and back to their territories as the lake filled up once again.”

We reached the border with Windclan as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon and turning the clouds and sky pink. A light breeze was flowing off from the lake and cooling the air around us. I remembered the last time I had been near this border was when Shadowclan had attacked, which brought up something I totally had forgotten to report.

I stalked up to Reedwhisker’s side as he told the others to mark the border and check for fresh Windclan scents. “What is it Florapaw?” he grumbled.

“I forgot to report that when Mistystar sent me to this border for Minnowtail’s patrol in the battle,” I started, “that I saw the patrol coming back from inside Windclan’s territory. Minnowtail accused me of spying when they came back and looked scared like they went against orders or something.”

Reedwhisker rolled his eyes. “Florapaw, the patrol had been sent here that day to search for Windclan intruders. Maybe they found Windclan on our territory and went after them.”

With a shrug, I walked away sighing, knowing that reporting what I knew was true was only going to be denied by Reedwhisker. What did I ever do for him to hate me so much? First he had been upset about Swiftshadow and I taking off during the Gathering, and now this.

“The borders are re-marked, and there has been no Windclan intrusion today,” Petalfur reported, her fur fluffed out. “But Sharkpaw did pick up a scent that I was unfamiliar to.”

Reedwhisker narrowed his eyes in confusion, and replied slowly, “Take me to the scent.” Petalfur led the way, her gray, white tipped tail lashing nervously. Just barely inside Riverclan’s border, Sharkpaw sat in wait beside Swiftshadow, where he must’ve picked up the scent. A moorland breeze whipped me in the face, and I caught an odd scent as well, nothing even close to a dog, badger, fox, or Twoleg. The scent was more of a burning smell, but not like one of forest.

I found more of the scent farther away from the border and followed it. The scent headed towards the fence of the Horseplace, where the Clan cats had had the very first Gathering here in the lake territories. Slowly, a scorched mark in the ground began to show until whatever had burned into the ground had torn it up and thrown dirt and grass everywhere. At the end of the trail, a hole the size of a badger’s den appeared, a huge black rock in the center of the hole.

“What is that?” Swiftshadow gasped beside me. I hadn’t realized that the patrol had followed me as I traced down the scent trail’s end point.

“It looks just like a rock,” Mossyfoot put in. “But what rock could burn a hole like that and leave a trail behind it?”

“Could it be a piece of coal?” Petalfur suggested. “Twolegs throw the black stones once in a while, and they might use it in the nest of the Horseplace still.”

Reedwhisker stepped forward and shook his head. “Coal isn’t this big, Petalfur,” he replied. “It also doesn’t leave holes in the ground.”

“It’s almost as if it came from the sky.”We all looked over our shoulders at Sharkpaw; he was cowering down in

embarrassment as if he had said something completely stupid. I had a strange

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feeling that he was right though, because there were always odd things falling from the sky.

I tried remembering what the Twolegs sometimes talked about, an ability of understanding their language strange to the rest of my Clanmates. “I think it’s called a space rock,” I added with a glance at each of my Clanmates. “The Twolegs in the closest nest near the dock have an observing scope for the sky and watch space showers caused by falling rocks.”

Once again, I had seemed to anger Reedwhisker. “Florapaw, I highly doubt you can understand what Twolegs can say, so stop making things up,” he growled. Rounding on Sharkpaw, he hissed, “And you will not encourage her crazy ideas.”

“Sorry, Reedwhisker,” we mewed to our deputy.“Now, let’s get back home and report this to Mistystar,” Reedwhisker

ordered. “And I trust you all to keep your mouths shut from the rest of the Clan.”“We will, Reedwhisker,” Mossyfoot promised.“We will,” the rest of us joined.

Chapter 9“You found what?” Mistystar exclaimed, her pelt bristling in fear. “A fallen skyrock,” Reedwhisker repeated for the third time. The deputy was

becoming impatient after the first two times when Mistystar thought he was pulling her tail. “It might’ve scared Windclan away from our borders, but prey is hiding as well and now there’s damage to our territory.”

Mistystar was pacing in her den now. “What would cause Starclan to do this?” she growled.

I looked to Sharkpaw, who gazed down at his paws guiltily for even bringing up what I believed in what had happened. I should be doing the same after I had been the one to blurt it to Mistystar what it was. Thankfully she believed that I could understand Twoleg speech and that made it all the easier to feel better about what I said in the report.

“Mistystar,” I started. “Starclan doesn’t cause skyrocks to fall; it’s a natural space thing.”

Reedwhisker snapped his head around with a growl. “I suggest you keep quiet and stop antagonizing your leader! She’s stressed enough without your lies and beliefs.”

I shrunk down to the ground in hurt and anger. “Starclan isn’t to blame for this, Reedwhisker,” I growled, clenching my teeth. “I’m just trying to help her see the real cause behind the skyrock.”

Reedwhisker snorted and turned back to Mistystar. I hung my head in shame and hate towards the deputy as Mossyfoot padded up and rested her tail over my shoulders. “I believe you, Florapaw,” she purred with a twinkle of trust in her eyes.

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“I know a cat that can speak to dogs, so what makes it so that you shouldn’t be able to understand Twolegs?”

I gazed in her eyes with a smile. “Thanks, Mossyfoot.”“Why don’t the rest of you go and rest?” Mistystar suggested from her nest.

“I’ll continue talking with Reedwhisker for a little longer and decide how to deal with this mess.”

“Good luck,” Swiftshadow mewed, padding away from the leader and the black, growling deputy. Swiftshadow muzzled me from the den, Mossyfoot and Sharkpaw following closely behind. The warrior had me stop in the middle of the camp while Sharkpaw and Mossyfoot took off for their dens. “Why don’t we go out hunting tomorrow?” he offered.

“I can’t, I have training with Mistystar in the morning again,” I sighed. “Maybe closer to dusk, then we can have a night hunt.”

“I’d like that,” he purred, rubbing his muzzle along my shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night.”

“You too,” I yawned, padding off towards my den.Inside the apprentices’ den, all the apprentices were already asleep. I

carefully weaved around the others to get to my nest near the back of the den. When I could feel the moss bed under my paws, I instantly collapsed in tiredness.

A half-moon of training went by without fault. Mistystar had me training everyday from morning until sunhigh, and then I would usually either hunt or take a relaxing swim in the lake. Now and then I would sneak away and inspect the now hidden skyrock, covered with twigs and moss, and was explained to the Clan as a hole the Twolegs left behind, filled with sticky stuff. The rock captured my interests, and slowly I was discovering that more and more of these were falling from the sky and impacting with the earth, all coming from the Twolegs. They were saying that there was an impact around here but couldn’t find any traces of it, but that was because our Clan got to hiding it before the Twolegs could bring their machines and destroy our territory and the remove the rock. It seemed the skyrock was good for the ground because herbs were growing beautifully around it, and when they were eaten, they no longer had a bitter taste to them.

I stretched from my nest with a yawn one morning, the sky clear and the sun warming the ground. The camp was in full movement and was slowly emptying out as Reedwhisker sent patrols out into the territory for food and border markings. Swiftshadow, Sweetpaw, and Sharkpaw sat around the deputy, looking as if they were waiting to go out of camp.

The deputy noticed that I was heading his way. “Florapaw, I want you to go hunting with Sweetpaw and Swiftshadow,” he ordered. “Mistystar is out on patrol, and I was left in charge of camp until she gets back. Bring back a few morsels of prey to fill the pile.”

“We’ll make you proud,” Sweetpaw purred. “Only if Florapaw doesn’t screw it up,” he muttered to only where I could

hear. I snarled as the deputy stalked to the middle of the camp with his apprentice behind him.

I snorted and turned to Swiftshadow. “So where are we going to hunt?”“I was thinking near the trees by the Shadowclan border,” he replied, heading

towards the entrance. “Nobody has been there for a while.”Sunlight heated my pelt as I raced alongside Sweetpaw and Swiftshadow

towards the Shadowclan border. The long grasses of the plain tickled our legs and paws as we sprinted closer to the border that separated us from Shadowclan’s swamps. Our paws carried us uncontrollably through the small stretch of this side of Riverclan’s territory, and we had no intentions to stop.

Teeth pulled at my scruff and pulled me to the ground a few rabbit hops from the Thunderpath laid between the two Clan territories. “Sweetpaw, come back!” Swiftshadow yowled behind me. He took after the gray apprentice as she crossed the Thunderpath, her eyes closed as she took in the light breeze flowing through her fur. Over his shoulder, Swiftshadow called, “I’m going to fetch her, and I need you to watch for Shadowclan warriors, and if you see any, give a holler.” He tore after the tabby apprentice, her paws just landing on the other side of Shadowclan’s border.

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I peered into the pine forest of the swampy territory, searching for any warriors that would most likely jump out at Sweetpaw for stealing prey or trespassing. If any warriors did show up, we’d be in trouble because they’d insist that we would have to explain ourselves to Rowenstar, and I wasn’t particularly ready, or wanting, to face the leader again.

Swiftshadow was finally able to stop the apprentice as she slowed to a stop in front of a glistening birch tree. Her tail was fluffed out to double its usual size, and her hackles were raised up high. What had spooked her? The warrior leaned down to the apprentice’s ear, speaking something to her that calmed her down slightly, but even as they crossed back into our territory, Sweetpaw was still constantly looking over her shoulder.

Movement in Shadowclan’s territory caught my eye. I narrowed my eyes and peered closer, catching the sight of shadows. I sighed, wondering if the lurking Shadowclan warriors had seen Sweetpaw and Swiftshadow exiting off their territory. Would the warriors claim hunting rights, or fight us again for no reason?

“Shadowclan warriors are coming in fast!” I called to Swiftshadow. The brown warrior glanced over his shoulder, released a growl and muzzled Sweetpaw quickly towards me.

“ARRRRAHHHH!!!” The unsuspecting noise escaped from the cats coming towards us. I snapped my eyes on the incoming felines, letting out a whimper; these weren’t Shadowclan cats, and there were more of them then what the three of us could handle. There were five in all, muscles rippling strongly on their skinny bodies, under hanging, unkempt fur. These cats had a wild look in their eyes, and I had a feeling they were rouges in search of food and a fight.

“They’re rouges!” I hollered, digging my claws into the ground and urging my Clanmates with my mind to move quicker. But it was already too late; the rouges had us surrounded in our own territory. I crouched low beside Swiftshadow as he tried to protect both of us apprentices. A black tom, big and brawly, swiped out at me from the side. I lunged at him, and that was the cue for the rest of them to attack my Clanmates.

I groveled with the black cat on the ground, his paws smashing into the side of head multiple times. I was beginning to get dizzy, but I kept clawing at his stomach and biting into his shoulder. Finally he brought his back legs up under me and threw me away from him. I crashed into the ground with a whimper.

“Need some help?” I gasped, jumping to my paws unsteadily, gazing into the face of Tawnypelt, an older Shadowclan warrior. I nodded to her offer, and then she was flying over me and on top of the rouges. Four other Shadowclan warriors flew after her, including the deputy Tigerheart. Even after the unnecessary fight not long ago, Shadowclan was helping us now.

The rouges that had attacked my friends and I were beginning to panic and back away. “We stand in fight, you cowards!” the black tom yowled to his companions. The leader of the group leaped back into battle, landing on top of Tigerheart and tearing into his hind leg. Swiftshadow ripped at a brown tabby tom under the shadows of the trees. The other Shadowclan warriors fought the other rouge cats, noticeably winning.

A ginger tom with black stripes broke away from Tawnypelt and Sourwave. He stopped a little ways from the battle to catch his breath. He spotted Sweetpaw grappling with a white she-cat about her size, but much older. Sweetpaw had energy, and was speedy with her attacks, but she was so preoccupied with winning the fight, she was unaware of the tom stalking up from behind her.

Growling, I swiftly stalked down the tom and flew through the air, landing on the tom’s back. He yowled in surprise, and then snapped at my leg over his shoulder, his teeth only catching a little bit of fur. I bit into his scruff, the horrible taste of crow-food sending bile up in my throat. I swallowed and did my best to ignore the sickening taste as I bit down harder.

The white she-cat Sweetpaw had been fighting took off. She stood before the ginger tom I clawed at. She hissed in his face, dodging a swipe of one of his paws, only to be hit unexpectedly with the other. She tumbled to the ground with a squeal, blood flowing from a scratch on her cheek. I snarled with defensiveness and pulled the tom to the ground on top of me. I bit and clawed into his shoulders and neck, and once tearing his ear from the tip to almost to the base. He screeched in pain as blood flowed from his wounds and spotted the ground.

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I threw the tom the other way and off me. He tried to get to his paws, but I was on my paws quicker and ran for him. His eyes grew wide as my head contacted his boney side. There were a few cracks as my hard skull met his skinny ribs before he was on the ground panting a little ways away.

A squeal caught my attention from behind. I whipped around and gasped, shaking my head as the black tom of the rouge group pinned Sweetpaw to the ground. His paw pinned her down at her chest, his other one in the air. I screamed, racing to help Sweetpaw, but it was already too late. The black cat’s big paw met the apprentice’s face with unsheathed claws, tearing into her already bleeding cheek, across her closed eye, and scarring down her muzzle. She screeched in fear and agony, blood flowing from multiple wounds that were going to ravage her for life.

The black tom was aiming for another attack on the downed apprentice, but I wasn’t having any of that. At a fast speed, I silently ran for the black cat. I leaped, stretching out my paws and reaching for the tom. Suddenly, with the speed of a snake, the black rouge twisted around, and slashed out his forepaws. His claws sliced into my leg and side while the impact from his paws threw me off to the side and almost into the lake. Water lapped at my tail tip as I lay there on my side, trying to calm myself down.

I closed my eyes only for a moment before I found myself on my back with a paw pressing down on my neck. My eyes snapped open at the sky, my paws clawing at the paws that held me down. The pressure on my neck was increasing, and breathing was becoming more and more difficult. I couldn’t move for the weight on me was greater.

A black face moved into my view, a sneer of yellow teeth greeting me. All I knew was that this cat was becoming a major problem for my Clan, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be an easy enemy to defeat anymore, no matter how skinny this cat was. The rouge pushed down harder on my throat, and I was beginning to wonder why he didn’t just kill me right away. My senses were slowly fading; sounds of the fight starting to get distant, my vision becoming black and blurry, muscles slowly down as my breathing slowed down. Blood pounded in my ears, a single yowl rang around me, and then the weight lifted off of me. Air flooded into my lungs, but I was already out.

Warmth and comfort made me purr with happiness. The smell of moss reminded me of my den back home in Riverclan camp; actually I could swear that I was in my nest. Slowly I blinked open my eyes, past the blurriness, and looked around. I had been right: I was in the apprentices’ den back in camp.

I shook my head in confusion. Had the battle all been just a dream? I struggled to my paws and found that it had been real after all. The wounds on my side and leg were patched up with marigold and cobwebs, showing that the healers were able to get to me before I woke and felt the sting from the herb juices.

From my den I could see that the sun was beginning to set behind the trees. I stretched my sore muscles and then trotted from the den and into a cramped camp. My Clan was crowded around in small groups, talking like birds about rouges attacking the hunting patrol. I growled when I saw that Shadowclan cats from the fight were here.

“I’m glad to see you’re on your paws again.” I whipped around with a snarl. Grasspelt backed away, his hackles raised in defense. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong,” he growled annoyingly. “I’ve just been worried about you; not knowing what happened.”

“I’m sure word spread around,” I sighed with a raspy voice, my throat still hurting. “Why are there Shadowclan cats in our camp?” I asked, changing the subject.

Grasspelt let out a laughing snort. “Why Florapaw, these cats saved your patrol’s life when the rouges attacked you all. I’d thank them if I were you.”

I sighed, not wanting to thank the cats that had attacked Riverclan almost a moon ago, but in my heart I knew it was the right thing to do. The first Shadowclan cat that walked close by me was Tigerheart, and even though I was sure he would remember that I was the one that had sent him tailing back to his camp, I padded up to the brown tabby tom anyways.

“Tigerheart,” I called, trotting after the tom as he headed towards Mistystar’s den. The deputy stopped and waited for me to catch up.

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“What is it, apprentice?” he growled, obviously remembering what I had done to him on my own.

“I need to say a couple things,” I mewed, building up the courage to look into Tigerheart’s eyes. “First, I’d like to thank you for saving my Clanmates and I. Second… I want to know what happened after I blacked out and who got the rouge off of me in time.”

“That would have been me that saved your life,” Tigerheart snorted.“It was you?!” I exclaimed. “Even though…”“Yes, even though you were the one to make me feel pitiful because I was

beat by a new apprentice of Riverclan,” he finished, his tail flicking around on the ground, shuffling dust into the air.

“Well, I grateful for it,” I replied with a friendly smile.Tigerheart shrugged and started walking off to the side and towards the

healers’ den. “No problem,” he mewed. “And your friend, Sweetpaw, was asking for you earlier. I’d go in and see her if she’s awake; she’s still pretty shaken up.”

I burst into the healers’ den with a hiss of worry. Spottedpaw leaped to her paws near the entrance, her eyes wide in fear. “Where’s Sweetpaw?” I asked hurriedly.

“I’m happy to see that you’re still yourself,” she purred with a roll of her eyes. “She’s in your old nest in the tunnel with Willowshine. I suggest that you don’t stare at her wounds or fret about them; her mother already did that and made Sweetpaw feel horrible.”

“Her wounds are that bad?” I asked.“The left side of her face is going to have memorable scars,” she sighed,

sadness filling up in my sister’s eyes. “Half of her whiskers are clawed off, and even though her eye had been closed when she got hurt, she’ll be forever blind in her left eye.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed to Starclan that Sweetpaw would be okay. “She’s going to live though, right?”

“Yes, but her concern right now is whether or not she’ll be able to be a warrior,” Spottedpaw answered. “A cat needs whiskers to find their way though places, espically dark tunnels and hunting at night. We’ll just have to wait and see for ourselves if she’ll pull through.”

Spottedpaw led me around the corner that trailed into the tunnel for sick cats. The tunnel smelled of fresh moss and marigold, those scents always being the ones to say that there was a new patient in the healers’ den. In the first nest that appeared around the corner, I spotted Sweetpaw’s gray tabby back. Willowshine was beside the apprentice’s nest, encouraging her to bring her face closer to her so that she could tend to the wounds again.

“Sweetpaw, it’s Florapaw,” I called out to the apprentice. Her back twitched with unease as I came closer to her. “I wanted to know how you were doing.”

She let out a sob and turned her face towards me so I could see the good side of her face. I almost cried with her when I saw the sadness, pain and fear flowing around in her good blue eye. “If you saw what happened to me, you’d agree with me that I’m the opposite of okay.” Sweetpaw turned her head away from me once more just as Willowshine tried to place herbs on the wounds on the left side of the apprentice’s face.

“Now that we got her cleaned up, she almost looks like her old self again,” Willowshine mewed to me. “If Tawnypelt and Sourwave hadn’t carried her back in time, she might’ve died.”

“Starclan kept her alive for the same reason they did Swiftshadow,” I murmured to myself.

Willowshine cocked her head to the side, her dark blue eyes gazing at me with wonder. “He told me that he would never speak of that day to anyone ever again.”

I shuffled my paws on the ground. “He was trying to make me feel better when I had gotten hurt by saying that he had been in a worse of a condition once. I didn’t believe him at first.” Willowshine gave me the slightest of nods before turning back to her patient.

“Sweetpaw, you need to turn your face towards me so that I can redress your wounds,” Willowshine insisted. “You don’t want them to get infected, do you?”

“No, but the herbs sting really bad!” the gray apprentice complained, moving her face closer into the mossy nest. “They make the wounds hurt worse!”

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“But the pain sting means the juices are sinking in and healing the wound,” Spottedpaw explained, placing a paw on one of Sweetpaw’s.

“Dealing with the sting from herbs also means you are becoming a stronger warrior.” We all turned our heads and purred a greeting to Mistystar as she padded into the healers’ den. She dipped her blue-gray head to me. “Glad to see that you weren’t hurt too bad this time.”

“How does becoming hideously scarred warrior-like?” Sweetpaw hissed, moving her face so that only her right side faced everyone. Willowshine saw this as a chance to redress the apprentice’s wounds.

“Receiving wounds doesn’t mean that you are weak,” Mistystar mewed gently, running her tail tip gently over a scar on her side. “Wounds are just part of being a warrior: it leaves you with past victories or defeats, and also shows that you fought for your Clan and stuck to the warrior code, just as all Clan cats do.”

Happiness flooded through Sweetpaw’s good eye. “Does that mean I get to become a warrior now?” she mewed with a plead in her voice.

Mistystar lowered her head and purred slightly. “You still have a long way to go before you get your warrior name, my dear. There’s a lot of training that you still need to go through, and your mentor will make sure you get that rightful training.”

There was a long silence throughout the healers’ den before Willowshine broke it with a successful purr when she finished dressing Sweetpaw’s wound. Turning to Spottedpaw, she leaned down and murmured something in my sister’s ear, and then padded past me to Mistystar.

“Make I speak to you real quick in your den?” the healer asked with a glance at Sweetpaw over her shoulder.

“I can see that this is going to be serious,” Mistystar muttered. “Follow me.”

Chapter 10

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Four days after the rouge attack and Sweetpaw was back on her paws. The poor apprentice had become shy with her Clanmates when she would overhear a few of them talking about her wounds and how horrible she looked. Now days she would only speak with her brothers, mother, me, the healers, Mistystar, and Swiftshadow. Even her mentor I had heard myself talk about her apprentice and about how she would never become a warrior.

I remembered the one warrior that had been ravaged by dogs and was from Thunderclan. Brightheart was her name; she had been the white, ginger patched elder that had been telling a story with her mate Cloudtail. Brightheart had been an apprentice that tried to take on the dogs that had threatened the old forest. She and another apprentice named Swiftpaw were tore apart, but Brightheart had been lucky to survive. She slowly recovered and was shy around everyone because everyone had been so scared of her scarred face. Her leader had named her Lostface, which didn’t make it any better for her. Later, when Bluestar had died, Firestar became leader and named the apprentice Brightheart, and Cloudtail would help her find ways to battle with only one eye and ear. She was once a strong and dangerous fighter, even had kits later on, and now is peacefully resting as an elder in Thunderclan.

Sweetpaw sat beside me near the front of the gathered Clan. Mistystar had just called for a meeting, and nobody had any idea why. She stood sadly on her meeting rock, and I had a bad feeling bad things were about to happen.

“Today I have you gathered here to honor a very brave cat,” she started. “Sweetpaw, please come forward.”

The gray apprentice beside me jumped to her paws with astonishment, almost falling off to the side because her whiskers were unbalancing her. Sweetpaw stepped forward before the Riverrock, her head and tail low with nervousness.

“For a few days, I have checked with Willowshine on Sweetpaw’s condition,” Mistystar told the Clan. “Our healer has seen some successful healing in Sweetpaw’s wounds, but she is not in any state to continue her training. Sweetpaw, today I will give you your warrior name, even though you are so behind in training.”

“Thanks,” Sweetpaw muttered under her breath. “But why make me a warrior when I can’t be one? You were just going to be put in the elders’ den.”

“The elders’ have great knowledge they can share with you,” Reedwhisker mewed from behind Sweetpaw.

“They will treat you like Clanmate, and so will the rest of us,” Soulsong encouraged her apprentice. “Our respect will never change towards you, Sweetpaw.”

Sweetpaw seemed to brighten a little, but sadness still filled her eyes. “I don’t deserve this,” she growled with a lash of her tail. “Nobody is even giving me a chance to try and learn to battle different. Whiskers shouldn’t be able to keep me from a fight and one day I’ll prove it.”

“But in the meantime, you will be a warrior and stay with the elders until we know you can or cannot train again,” Mistystar decided. “I, Mistystar, leader of Riverclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has taken a great toll from a battle forced upon the Clan, and she protected and defended her Clanmates just like a warrior. Her injuries announce her as unable to fight, and I now present her as a warrior to you in turn.

“Sweetpaw, though you will be unable to fight for the time being, do you promise to uphold the warrior, to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Sweetpaw sighed and stood up as Mistystar leaped from her rock and landed before the gray apprentice. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Sweetpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Halfwhisker. You were showing great promise for your Clan, and I hope you will be able to continue that if you recover. Welcome to Riverclan as a new warrior.” Mistystar lowered her head and touched her nose to Halfwhisker’s ear. Halfwhisker licked her shoulder in respect and backed away to the front of the gathered Clan. Silence followed the new warrior to where she sat, the Clan unsure of what to do.

“Halfwhisker!” I called out, leaping to her side. “Halfwhisker!”The rest of the Clan slowly began to call out as well. Halfwhisker’s brothers

and parents crowded close to her, giving her comforting licks and words. Soulsong

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came up and promised her old apprentice that when Halfwhisker was well enough that she would help her continue her training.

When the Clan broke away from the scar tabby, I padded forward and rested my tail over Halfwhisker’s slumped shoulders. “I’m glad you became a warrior.”

“I don’t deserve it though,” she muttered. “Mistystar made it seem like Starclan said it themselves that I won’t be able to fight ever again. I don’t want to be an elder for the rest of my life. I wanted to die as a warrior fighting for her Clan.”

“Here’s what I heard Willowshine telling Mistystar a couple days ago,” I mewed. “She said that until she knew you are healed fully and could balance yourself that you would have to stay in the healers’ den or stay with the elders for a while. Your whiskers won’t grow back, but there are cats that have been able to fight and balance just fine without their tails.”

Halfwhisker lifted her head, hope flaring in her eyes. “So I might still have a chance to learn how to fight again?”

“Yep, and I’ll help you out with that while I help take care of you in the elders’ den!” I mewed happily. “I’ll help you balance in no time, Halfwhisker.”

“Thanks a lot, Florapaw,” she purred for the first time in a few days. “But why did she give me a warrior name if I’m just staying in the elders’ den and might recover?”

“I think she did it in case you couldn’t be a warrior anymore and had done it early to save you from the hurt from it later on,” I explained gently. I was trying my best to keep her hopeful, but it went farther into determination now, which would help her even more.

“You are practically telling me that I still have what it takes to be a warrior?” she muttered, her dark blue eye staring at the ground. “I know I’m strong; I was able to pull through these injuries. I still have one eye for sight, and if Brightheart can fight and be a warrior with one eye, then so can I. It just might take a little while to learn how to fight with only half a set of whiskers on one side.”

“If you keep thinking like that,” I purred, placing a paw on her shoulder. “You will be fighting with your Clan again very soon.”

The next couple days didn’t go as planned. I found out that it wasn’t me that was going to help Halfwhisker train, but jut clean her bedding along with the other elders with Sharkpaw, or one of the other apprentices. Graymist, one of our Clan elders, was blind in one eye from age and was chosen for the job of training Halfwhisker instead. The elder had figured out tactics that could help her fight with one eye, but no one knew how to get past the whisker thing. Halfwhisker would have to find a way on her own with that.

The elders of the camp stayed in their den while Graymist trained Halfwhisker outside the elders’ den. I stood nearby, watching my friend’s progress. When she had been an apprentice, her mind picked up moves very quickly like I could, and she could almost instantly mimic the moves; I was glad to see she could still do that.

It was close to sunset. Graymist and Halfwhisker had been training since sunhigh the third day after Halfwhisker had been given her new name. The gray tabby apprentice-warrior (that’s what I was calling this position for Halfwhisker) learned a way to keep her enemy in her sight on her good side of her face. Graymist would move to Halfwhisker’s blind side and try to attack, but Halfwhisker would move to keep her enemy in sight with speed and accuracy. Halfwhisker’s only problem was keeping her balance with her half set of whiskers. Graymist was finally able to get past Halfwhisker’s tactic by inching up with each movement. She got up close enough and sped to Halfwhisker’s good side and batted her lightly on the head, unbalancing Halfwhisker and caused her to fall to the sandy ground.

Sand dust lifted into air around the mentor and apprentice-warrior. Mistystar’s shadow loomed beside them as Graymist helped Halfwhisker to her paws, pushing her on her shoulder of her bad side to balance her out.

“You are doing a great job, you two,” Mistystar purred when both she-cats were on their paws. “Keep up the hard work, Halfwhisker.”

The gray tabby averted her eyes with embarrassment. “Thanks, Mistystar,” she muttered shyly, scuffling her paws on the ground. Graymist mewed something as well and led Halfwhisker into the elders’ den to rest.

Mistystar turned to me. “Florapaw, I want you to come with me and Swiftshadow to finish your training,” she mewed with pride. “Now that you have

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completely healed, the battle with Windclan is going to happen soon and I want you fully prepared.”

“I will be ready to fight for my Clan and teach them a lesson,” I growled with a promise. “But why are they still stealing our prey? I’m sure they have plenty for themselves.”

Reedwhisker padded up, his hackles high and his tail lashing with frustration. “Believe me they have enough to themselves,” he hissed. “I just watched them bring down two rabbits and a squirrel on their territory. I left Soulsong at the border to watch for trespassers until moonrise.”

“Good thinking,” Mistystar agreed. “And since you are back, I putting you in charge of camp while I go out and train my apprentice. We’ll be back around moonrise.”

“Good luck.”Mistystar trotted ahead of me as we left the camp. She had a slight limp to

back leg as she walked and I wondered if she had recently hurt herself. I bounded after my leader until I was able to stop myself in front of her. Mistystar skidded to a halt with a look of confusion and fear in her eyes.

“What is it, Florapaw?” she mewed hesitantly. “Why are you limping?” I asked with concern.Mistystar shook her head. “It’s an old injury acting up, that’s all.” She tried to

push past me but I moved to place myself in front of my leader once again.“Then why am I seeing it for the first time?” I insisted. “You shouldn’t lie to

your Clan if there’s something we should know about.”“And what if it’s just something that’s personal?” she growled. “Then the Clan

has nothing to worry about.”“Obviously we do care about whatever it is because I noticed and tried

helping,” I pointed out stubbornly. “Let me help you.”“I can take care of myself, Florapaw,” she hissed. “Now get to the training

clearing and start practicing with Swiftshadow. I’ll be there in a bit.”Mistystar padded away and slowly waded into the lake. She was up to her

back with water before she stopped and I wondered what she was up to. I sighed, my worry becoming overwhelming, but I forced myself to turn and go the rest of the way to the training clearing. The wind was becoming much warmer and I knew that the lake was in the warmest of all moons. With this heat, and the lack of rain though it meant a great possibility of a drought, and the Clans couldn’t afford to have another of those.

Swiftshadow was in the middle of the clearing practicing his speed and balance on an imaginary enemy. I watched from the bushes silently assessing how good he really was as a fighter. I’ve watched him hunt plenty of times, but never once have I seen him fight. The brown tom leaped off trees, to the ground, and then more trees, quickly gaining great speed. He was starting to move so fast that I lost sight of Swiftshadow a couple times, and that would be dangerous for an enemy. I wondered why I never was taught this, and if I didn’t, I was going to ask Swiftshadow to help me do so.

I padded into the clearing as Swiftshadow continued to bounce about the training clearing. Leaves fell to the ground as each push off a tree shook it. When the brown warrior finally stopped in the middle of the clearing, he was panting hard, but I was laughing really loud. He glared at me until he saw what I was laughing at: the poor tom’s pelt was covered in leaves and dust and looked like a mess “We should call you Leafdust instead of Swiftshadow,” I giggled, padding up to him and using my tail to swipe away the debris. “It was a good look for you.”

“It was weighing me down,” he admitted. “I’m glad you made it. Where’s Mistystar?”

“She went to the lake to do something,” I mewed, rolling my eyes. “Leader business I guess.” I looked at the trees, and imagined myself doing the tree bouncing. “So what was it that you were doing? I’ve never seen that.”

“It’s a move that really only works in wooded areas, such as Thunderclan and Shadowclan territory,” he explained. “I made it up and called it the speed-jump move. All you do is leap at a tree, push off the tree to either the ground or another tree, and continue the process until you gain enough speed to where the enemy can’t see you. It’s actually quite simple, espically if you already are fast and have strong legs. Why don’t you try it?”

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The bushes rustled and Mistystar appeared. “We have better things to do right now other than tree moves,” she said bluntly. “We are fighting Windclan, not the other Clans. She must learn moorland moves for right now.”

Swiftshadow narrowed his eyes in confusion. “But moorland moves are practically the same as the ways the rest of the Clans use them,” he told Mistystar. “The only thing they add is speed because of their size.”

“That’s where your mentor taught you wrong, young warrior,” she chuckled. “I guess I’ll have to show you both on how it’s done.” Mistystar padded to the other end of the clearing, leaving Swiftshadow beside me, muttering about why his mentor wouldn’t teach him everything. “This is called the slide-over,” Mistystar called from the edge of the clearing. “Swiftshadow move in slowly as if you are stalking up to me, and watch what I do so you can learn.”

Swiftshadow shrugged and stalked away from me. Mistystar crouched down as if she was giving up the fight, looking weak and incapable of fighting, but this was a trick most Clan cats knew. Swiftshadow was only a few fox-lengths away from my mentor, his tail lashing as if he was going into real battle. Suddenly, Mistystar sprang to her paws and ran full force at Swiftshadow. At first I thought she was going to head-butt Swiftshadow right in the chest, but instead she outstretched her paws and slid towards Swiftshadow with unstoppable speed. Her front paws rammed into Swiftshadow’s and sent him tumbling forward, and then Mistystar used her back legs to kick him over onto his back. She stopped herself from moving any farther by springing to her paws and sprinting at Swiftshadow, reaching him to pin the warrior down. He struggled underneath her tight hold, but it was no use.

“That is how you do a slide-over,” she panted, letting Swiftshadow get to his paws. “The only thing that you don’t want to do wrong with this move is ending up on your stomach where another opponent can attack you.”

“Can we try it?” I pleaded Mistystar.“If you think you can do it, then go for it.” My mentor padded to the edge of

the clearing and sat down. “I’ll watch and see what you learned.”I nodded and headed to the spot where Mistystar had been in her practice

with Swiftshadow. The brown warrior repeated the stalk at me while I crouched down in defeat. If this was a real battle I wouldn’t be able to cower as long because other warriors can sneak up from behind and easily hurt me. I went earlier with running at Swiftshadow, surprising him for only a second. My paws moved over the ground so fast that I felt like I was floating over the ground. There were only two rabbit hops between Swiftshadow and I so I slid to the ground on my belly, stretched out my paws and rammed them into Swiftshadow’s. He fell forward, but as I slid past him, I kicked my paws at the ground and pushed my back into his haunches, forcing him to flip over onto his back. I twirled a couple mouse-lengths into the air before landing almost on top of the shocked brown warrior. I pinned him at last with a paw on his throat and knew that I did well from the look in his eyes.

“That was magnificent!” I looked over my shoulder to find Petalfur standing beside Mistystar with her apprentice Stormpaw. “I never would’ve thought of kicking out like that so I wouldn’t continue sliding.”

“That was very well done,” Mistystar commented me. “Your speed was perfect and your intentions were right on the spot. I have a feeling that after the battle, you may be sleeping in the warriors’ den.”

For the next day before the battle, Mistystar continued to assess me in my battle moves. The last few rays of sunlight she assessed my hunting, agreeing that if I did well in the battle, that she would make into a warrior. I was excited to be sleeping in the warriors’ den with my old denmates soon, and overwhelmed with happiness to be beside Swiftshadow again. The only thing that could make anything better was if Riverclan won this battle and taught Windclan a lesson.

The day of the battle had me starting out on the dawn patrol, my last on as an apprentice. I had gone with Swiftshadow, Weedfrost, Sheerwind, and Petalfur to the Shadowclan border. Everything was quiet and safe at that border so we decided to break up and hunt for a bit while Weedfrost and Sheerwind remarked our border. Before I took off to hunt, the Shadowclan dawn patrol showed up, Tigerheart, his mother Tawnypelt, and his sister Dawnpelt beside him, with one other cat coming up behind. While the others marked their side of the border, Tigerheart called me close to the scent lines.

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“How is Sweetpaw doing?” he asked. I remembered that Tigerheart had been the one that had carried the apprentice back to camp while Swiftshadow had flopped me onto his back and took me back that way.

“She’s doing great,” I mewed, trying not to give too much information. “She’s back to training, and learning new ways to deal with her half set of whiskers. She was given her warrior name because Mistystar and our healer weren’t sure she was going to make it.”

“Let me guess,” Tigerheart sighed, “her name is Halfwhisker, huh?”“Is it that obvious?”“Her name describes her now, just as our very old healer had a runny nose all

the time and was named Runningnose,” he chuckled. “He was the only healer I’ve heard of that couldn’t cure his own cold.”

“Don’t be mean towards your ancestors,” Tawnypelt grumbled with humor. “He was a great medicine cat after Brokenstar banished Yellowfang from the Clan. He gave us a great healer after him, and Littlecloud learned a lot from him. His teachings will be passed down until the end of the Clans.”

The Shadowclan cats went on their way after they had finished marking their border. My Clanmates resumed on hunting, and I finally joined in. At the end of our hunt, we met back up at the border with mouthfuls of prey. Weedfrost and Minnowtail had gone fishing in the lake and brought back a couple large minnows and a perch, a fish that was rarely found here. Swiftshadow had gone solo and brought back a squirrel and a vole. Sheerwind hunted with me in the trees, bringing down a mouse and a robin. I caught a shrew and a couple of sparrows. The Clan would be able to have feast before the battle and have a lot to choose from as well.

Back at camp, our patrol dropped our fresh-kill on the pile. I kept my catches and padded to the elders’ den, but not before grabbing the perch in exchange for my sparrows. Outside the den, Blackclaw slept beside Halfwhisker, the gray tabby’s pelt rising and falling slowly as she kicked in a dream. I chucked as she squirmed more and more until I finally dropped the shrew and perch down between the elder and apprentice-warrior, waking both of them.

“What’s the big idea, waking me up like that?” Blackclaw grumbled tiredly. “I was having a great dream.”

“Not as great as Halfwhisker seemed to be having,” I mewed with a smile. “She was kicking in her sleep, as if she was chasing after-”

“It wasn’t a good dream, Florapaw,’ she sighed, cutting me off. “I’m glad you woke me, I couldn’t take another moment of my memory.”

My eyes widened as I realized what she had been talking about. “Those rouges will never touch you again,” I promised with a lash of my tail. “As long as I’m beside you, none will even come close to harming you.”

Halfwhisker glanced down at her paws. “Hey, is this fresh-kill for me?” she asked, changing the subject.

“You can have your pickings of it,” I replied with a yawn. “I brought it for the whole elders’ den.” There was a long silence before I could think of anything else to say. “So how are you feeling today, Halfwhisker?”

The gray tabby took a bite of the perch and purred with delight. “I’m feeling almost like my old self again,” she mewed with a mouthful. Halfwhisker pushed the perch to me. I took a small bite before pushing it to Blackclaw. “I hear you may become a warrior after the battle tonight, eh?”

“Yeah,” I mewed sadly. “But I wish you could fight with me. It would be some fight to have you beside me kicking Windclan tail.”

“Her time will come,” Blackclaw muttered with a belch. “Now go, leave us be.”

“Sure thing, Blackclaw,” I mewed with a nod. “See you later, Halfwhisker!”“Bye, and thanks for the meal!” she called after me as I bounded towards the

middle of the camp. Mistystar was leaping onto the meeting rock, and just as I was about to sit down, she called for a Clan gathering.

I settled myself down close to the rock. Swiftshadow placed himself beside me, hi tail twining with mine as the Clan gathered together in the middle of the camp’s clearing. Sunlight bathed all of us in warmth, bringing happy thoughts and feelings together. I purred with delight and leaned into the soft fur of the brown warrior beside me. Spottedpaw padded up to my other side, shaking her head and rolling her eyes with a look saying, “I can’t believe this is happening.”

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Once the Clan was gathered in the middle of the camp, Mistystar spoke, her voice ringing out. “Today is the day we get back the respect we deserve from Windclan! They have stolen too much prey for my liking and that resulted in crossing our borders many times. They think we are too weak to defend our borders, but today will be the day where they will cower in our shadows, not us!” She finished in a bout of raspy coughing as the Clan cheered with agreement. What was going on with Mistystar?

“The battle patrol will be most of the Clan,” Mistystar continued clearly. “I will make this simple: Mintfur, Petalfur, Streammoon and Mossyfoot will stay in the camp to guard it, the elders and Brightsoul. Everyone else that I did not name, including the healers and apprentices, you will come with me to the Windclan camp. We will ambush them by surprise and defeat them with the size of our Clan, and the strength of Starclan.

“We will be leaving at sunhigh, so I suggest you all eat and get some rest before the battle,” she finished. The Clan nodded and murmured agreement, and then the meeting broke up. Mistystar disappeared into her den, Willowshine following closely behind with Reedwhisker, his tail tip flicking nervously. The rest of the Clan picked out small morsels of fresh-kill to share between each other, while others went straight to their dens for rest.

“Are you ready for this?” Swiftshadow asked, getting to his paws.“What, the battle?”“It’ll be your first one with full training and where you’ll know what you’re

doing,” he mewed, nuzzling me to my paws and leading me to the fresh-kill pile. “Are you nervous?”

“I’m actually very anxious because of the battle and becoming a warrior really soon,” I admitted, muzzling through the pile to find a small vole. I lifted it and carried to the apprentices’ den. Swiftshadow followed and lay down beside me with a shrew. “I just hope nobody from our Clan gets hurt.”


Apprentice- FlorapawDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyes

Apprentice- Sharkpaw

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Healer Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice- Spottedpaw

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)Duskfur- brown she-cat with green eyesMinnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyesPebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesApprentice- RainpawMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesApprentice- StormpawMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesHollowflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- CherrypawStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyesSheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyesMudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Apprentice- BrownpawIcewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesApprentice- Brookpaw Mossyfoot- brown-and-white she-catFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Rainclaw’s mateRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesWhispersnow- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftshadow- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyesApprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Florapaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesSpottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesCherrypaw- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookpaw- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownpaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesStormpaw- dark gray tom with white paws and green eyes

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Rainpaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyesSharkpaw- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes and black tailQueens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; expecting Reedwhisker’s kitsElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and SpottedpawMothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesHalfwhisker- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, chest and belly, and scarred faceOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

WindclanLeader Onestar- brown tabby tom with gold eyesDeputy Ashfoot- gray she-cat with amber eyesHealer Kestralflight- mottle gray tom with green eyesWarriors Lizardfang- golden-brown tom with gold eyesLionclaw- golden tom with amber eyesOwlwhisker- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- Dewpaw (gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes)Whiskernose- light brown tom with gold eyesWhitetail- white she-cat with green eyesLeaftail- tabby she-cat with amber eyesHarespring- brown-and-white tom with green eyesApprentice- Flightpaw (gray tom with green eyes)Heathertail- brown she-cat with blue eyesFurzepelt- gray-and-white she-cat with gold eyesDiamondstorm- black-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyesBoulderflame- gray tom with amber eyesSedgewhisker- brown tabby she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Pricklepaw (gray she-cat with blue eyes)

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Emberfoot- gray tom with amber eyesCosmicshine- golden she-cat with white paws and blue eyesEaglewing- brown-and-white tom with blue eyesDawnmoon- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyesFangmoon- black to with white paws and gold eyesApprentice- Pouncepaw (brown-and-cream tom with blue eyes)Birdnight- black-and-white she-cat with green eyesQueens Frozenpath- white she-cat with blue eyes; nursing Boulderflame’s kits:

Rockkit (gray tabby tom with green eyes) and Shardkit (white she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws and green eyesWebfoot- gray tabby tom with green eyesSunstrike- tortishell she-cat with blind amber eyes

The morning was tough. As soon as I woke, all the apprentices were called from the den for a last minute training session in the camp. After we pleased our mentors, we were sent off to eat and relax until sunhigh.

As soon as sunhigh was on its way, all the chosen cats for the battle grouped together near the entrance that led to the Windclan border. Mintfur and Streammoon headed off to guard each of the entrances while Petalfur and Mossyfoot stayed inside the camp to keep everyone calm.

“If any Windclan cats should somehow escape and come fleeing into our camp, give them a nasty surprise,” Mistystar had ordered.

I waited beside Swiftshadow for Mistystar to appear from her den. Willowshine had gone in, and I suspected that either something was wrong, or Willowshine just needed to speak with the leader for a moment. Either way, Spottedpaw didn’t look to happy herself when she sat to wait beside me.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked. “Are scared of the battle?” I wasn’t being mean one bit, but it didn’t seem that way to Spottedpaw.

“What now you’re going to mock me?” she growled, leaping to her paws with a bristling, spotted pelt. “All I’m scared for is our warriors getting hurt or not coming back at all. I scared that I’ll never get to see you again.”

“Spottedpaw, everything will be fine,” Swiftshadow mewed lightly, resting a paw on her shoulder to calm her down. “She’ll come back; I’ll make sure of it. And she’s too good of a warrior not to come back at all.”

Spottedpaw muttered angrily to herself for a while. She only stopped pouting when Willowshine appeared from Mistystar’s den, and padded up to Reedwhisker. Spottedpaw got to her paws and trotted over to her mentor, listening intently.

Reedwhisker looked upset, and turned to his Clan. “Willowshine has just told me that Mistystar has caught whitecough and needs to stay in camp.” The Clan rose in complaint that that would mean the battle wouldn’t happen. “She has put me in charge of the battle, so there’s nothing being called off,” he finished loudly.

The Clan’s upsetting uproar died into quieter cheers of happiness. “Let’s go show these Windclan cats that we mean business!”

Reedwhisker raced past the battle patrol and disappeared through the reeds and bracken. The patrol quickly got to its paws and chased after the black deputy. I was last to go through behind my sister who was carrying herbs in her jaws. Across the lake, I could see the moorland, and I realized that our attack was going to be too open without warning Windclan. It was daylight, we would be seen by camp guards, but I had a plan that would help us get closer than advancing through the open moorland.

I sprinted quickly towards Reedwhisker at the front of the patrol. He was ready to pass the tree-bridge leading to the island, and I was able to see the true path that we needed to take. “Reedwhisker, wait!”

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The black tom angrily halted with a skid. “What is it, Florapaw?” he growled. “Is someone following us?”

“No, but-”“Then you are wasting our time,” he cut in.“Reedwhisker, let the young apprentice speak,” Fernpool mewed.With a sigh, the deputy faced me and waited. “We are fighting on open

moorland, where there is nowhere to hide,” I started, the black tom looking bored already. “And it’s daylight so we’ll be easily seen if we attack through their territory. If you will let me, I can take us a different route that’ll keep us hidden until we need to attack.”

Reedwhisker hesitated for a long time, and he had been complaining about me wasting our time. “Fine, what is your plan?” I quickly whispered my thoughts into his ear. The black warrior quickly became interested. When I was finished, he turned to the battle patrol. “Riverclan, Florapaw will be leading you into battle.”

Meows of protest rose from the patrol, all except from Fernpool, Swiftshadow and Spottedpaw, who all had heard the plan clearly. “She’s just an apprentice!” Weedfrost yowled loudest of them all. “An apprentice can’t lead us into battle.”

“On my orders, Florapaw is allowed to do as she needs to help us win the battle,” Reedwhisker replied. “She has a secret path that will take us to victory!”

Though the Clan still didn’t like the idea, I lead the Clan closer to battle. With my ears pricked, I pushed my way through a reed bed growing close to the lake, where we would make our next step for going into battle. I turned to the Clan as my paws sank into overgrown moss. “We will swim from here to the shores of Windclan,” I told them. “Stay hidden in the reeds and lilies so that we have the element of surprise. If you see any Windclan cat close to you, try and swim away by going under water until you are clear from the enemy’s sight.”

Without waiting for anyone’s complaints, I waded into the lake’s cool water. The sandy ground underneath my paws disappeared as I went farther out into the lake, forcing me to swim to where the reeds were thickest. It wasn’t too far from the shore, but if any one cat was on the shore, we could still be spotted if movement caught the enemy’s eyes.

Reedwhisker swam up silently beside me. “What are we going to do when we reach the shore?” he asked. “Or haven’t you thought that far into your plan?”

“It’ll be up to you what we do,” I answered. “You are the deputy after all.”Reedwhisker snorted with annoyance as I tried to suck up to him. I didn’t

want him hating me forever, though I didn’t know his reason as it was. He swam back to the front of the Clan, taking the lead, as we drew closer to the Windclan shores. The reeds were beginning to thin out a little and replaced with thick patches of lilies that were only useful for hiding under.

Suddenly, the deputy’s tail snapped into the air, throwing water droplets everywhere. The tip hooked and pointed into the direction of the shores. The Clan slowed down as we each spotted and picked out three Windclan warriors near the Thunderclan border. The only one I recognized was Heathertail, a light brown she-cat with blue eyes.

Reedwhisker was behind me, giving orders to Swiftshadow. “Take Florapaw, Whispersnow, Cherrypaw, Brownpaw, and Pebblefoot and keep them from alerting the camp while I take the rest of the patrol to the heart of Windclan.”

“Sure thing,” Swiftshadow replied in a whisper. The brown tom swam to me, and quickly called each cat he was ordered to take with a whisper. His patrol gathered around us as he explained what we were to do. “When the main patrol is in the camp, we will join them, whether attackers follow or not,” he finished. “Are there any questions?”

The cats around us shook our heads and swam quickly after Swiftshadow. The shore was only a little ways ahead of us. We swam faster and faster, picking up speed, and when the shore was almost on top of us, we took a deep breath, went under water with a splash, and then came flying up and out of the water with yowls of surprise.

The Windclan cats scattered in fear and confusion. Heathertail was the first to calm down when Brownpaw landed on her back. Together Cherrypaw and I cornered a black tom with white paws. He leaped at us with outstretched paws, and I rolled onto my back, taking my front paws and tripping the tom. He fell face first into a pile of mud, giving Cherrypaw and I a chance to attack.

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The Windclan warrior was stronger than he looked. He was quickly on his paws, mud dripping from his face and ears. I swiped out with a paw at his muzzle, hoping to send another force into the attack to send the warrior to the ground. My paw impacted on contact, but the black tom stayed on his paws. Cherrypaw leaped onto his back, clawing into his fur, and causing blood to well from the wounds. I was next to attack, lunging at the warrior and biting deeply into his shoulder.

A screech left the tom’s mouth, and he reared up with shock, throwing Cherrypaw and I away from him. I landed with a thump at the edge of the gorge drop beneath me; Cherrypaw was lucky and got a soft landing in a fern thicket. Anger flowed into the gold eyes of the black warrior as he looked around for his attackers. He spotted me first and ran instantly in my direction. Fear pulsed through me, but I only let it show in a fake cowering stance. When the tom was close enough, I smirked and rolled out of his reach, letting the Windclan warrior propel himself into the lake water below.

He fell with a yowl into the lake. Water splashed everywhere, soaking me and the shore even. “Get me out of here!” The tom’s voice was gurgled as if he kept getting hit with waves as he spoke.

While I let the Windclan tom figure a way out of the water on his own, I spotted Swiftshadow and Brownpaw wrestling with Heathertail. The light brown she-cat was inflicting some smaller, nasty wounds on my Clanmates, but she wasn’t looking so good herself. Not too far from the bush barrier beyond Windclan’s camp, Whispersnow was fighting the Windclan deputy, Ashfoot. Cherrypaw raced up and joined the gray-and-white she-cat, sending the old deputy tumbling into the bushes.

I was ready to leap for Swiftshadow’s and Brownpaw’s aid when teeth became embedded into my scruff. I yowled, and twisted in the grip that held me, swiping paw blows to the muzzle of my attacker. I kicked with my hind legs, swinging in the jaws of the Windclan cat, and finally I fell from the cat as my legs kicked the chest of my attacker. I lay on the ground, and looked over my shoulder to see that the black warrior that I fought earlier had freed himself from the water and that he had attacked with revenge.

I got to my paws and rubbed the back of my neck. It hurt from all the tugging, but there was no blood. I turned and face the black warrior as he got to his own paws, rage filling his gold eyes. He scoffed at the ground and then headed for me. I dodged to the side as he tried to ram his head into my side, and I almost got away, but he tricked me and tripped me by the paws with his tail. A shock of pain trailed up through my jaw as it contacted the ground. I felt sick from the pain, and tried to get up, but a firm paw pushed me to the ground.

“You are strong for a fishy apprentice,” the tom snickered. “Too bad you aren’t one of us.”

“Even if you were the only Clan around the lake I wouldn’t join you,” I snarled, my tail lashing harshly against his back legs. While he tried to dance around my tail lashes, I arched my back forward, throwing the unsuspecting tom into the bushes in front of me. He yelped in pain as thorns pierced his pelt as he struggled to get out of the bushes.

I was back on my paws as the tom pulled free of the bushes, thorns sticking out of his ruffled pelt. The tom ran with a gait at me and then he was towering over me as he reared up on his hind legs. This was the upright lock that Mistystar had taught me, and I knew the perfect counter for it. Backing away slightly, acting like I was about to flee in fear, I bunched up my muscles and with full speed, rammed into the open stomach of the tom with my head. The warrior fell backwards on the ground, his greater weight keeping him from flying away from me. I stood before him, reared up on my hind legs this time and starting to fall on top of him with force. Out of the corner of my eye, but a little too late, the tom kicked out with his back legs into my stomach, sending me flying away.

I fell on my back, unbearable pain searing up my spine. Nothing had cracked thankfully, but it was going to be bruised for a couple days. I whimpered at the effort of trying to get back up, but it hurt too much to move, so I fell back down and rolled onto my side. Even though I felt like dying at the moment, I knew that getting up as soon as possible would save my life. Clenching my already sore jaw, I took in the pain and forced myself to my paws with a loud groan of protest. Panting from the effort, I lifted my head to watch as my life was about to flash away from my eyes as the black warrior brought a huge paw down on my head.

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I had closed my eyes, waiting for the attack, but instead a yowl sounded from the cat in front of me, and then I was watching him being thrown farther into the lake from the jaws of Swiftshadow. The light brown warrior snorted with success as our Clanmates gathered around me.

“Are you okay?” Swiftshadow mewed quietly in my ear, inspecting my pelt for any wounds. I was clear of any bleeding, but I felt like I just fought a million warriors at once.

“I’m fine except for my sore jaw and back,” I chuckled tiredly.“You did very well with Fangmoon,” he muttered. “He’s a very strong warrior

to fight. He is the son of Breezepelt after all, and everybody knows how that traitor was.”

“I bet Heathertail is the mother,” I mewed.“Yes, she had her oversized kit the same time Swiftshadow was born,”

Whispersnow sneered, Cherrypaw joining the she-cat at her side. “She said that she never knew that she had been expecting kits just before Breezepelt left.”

“Who cares?” Brownpaw growled. “Let’s get to the camp; I’m sure Reedwhisker has already attacked.”

We all nodded in agreement and fled for the camp. Constantly I would look over my shoulder to see if any warriors were following us, but they must’ve given up after the beating they got from us. We made it to the camp unharmed, skirting the camp’s outside until we found the entrance. Swiftshadow sent the others in while he gazed at me with worry.

“I don’t want see you get hurt anymore than you are now, so fight better than ever, my love,” he purred with a smile. “I want to remember this as our first battle together that brought us closer.”

“It will be because I’ll be sleeping beside you forever after tonight,” I whispered, licking the blood away from his cheek. “I’ll see you in there.”

Swiftshadow nodded and slipped into the camp’s barrier. The sounds of battle were loud, but considering that I was almost in the battle zone, I could hear someone calling for help not too far away. I narrowed my eyes, peering into the distance and gasped as I saw the sinking body of Fangmoon in the lake. Ashfoot was leaning precariously over the edge beside Heathertail, wails leaving the brown she-cat’s mouth. Why these cats couldn’t swim, only Starclan knew.

I raced over to the place where these Windclan cats had just been defeated. Their wounds we gave them still bled, and Ashfoot looked frailer than ever. Heathertail stopped for a moment from wailing and found a long stick, giving it to Ashfoot to help bring Fangmoon in, but it wasn’t long enough and the black warrior was already sinking down to the surface. Without the Windclan she-cats knowing I was behind them, I flew over their crouching bodies and splashed into the water. I dived farther into the lake, my eyes hurting from the sediment flowing into them. The water was clear, but as I went farther down, it was becoming darker and harder to hold my breath.

I stopped and floated in the depths of the lake for a moment before I spotted the sinking body of Fangmoon. I swam for the black tom, grabbing his scruff just before he touched the sandy bottom. Fish swam around us, one biting onto the tip of my black spotted tail, but even though it hurt, I didn’t release the grip I had on the drowning tom.

We broke the surface with a splash. I gasped and gulped for air to fill my lungs again as I paddled the Windclan cat and I closer to shore. Ashfoot waited, leaning down to help lift him up with her teeth embedded into Fangmoon’s neck. Heathertail raced to his side, crying that her son was dead. I pulled myself from the water, seeing that the Windclan cat’s flank wasn’t moving. I pushed myself between the she-cats, receiving looks of hatred from Heathertail.

The tom’s lungs were filled with water, and only Riverclan and Thunderclan cats knew how to get the water out. Rolling the tom on his back, I placed my paws on his chest and began rubbing up and down with pressure. I could hear water gurgling in his throat, and just when I thought all hope was lost; Fangmoon rolled over on his side and coughed up water and even a fish. The fish on the ground reminded me of the one on my tail, and ripped it from my tail tip, killing it with one bite. I threw it on top of the flopping one on the ground.

Ashfoot got to her paws shakily. “Thank you, apprentice, for saving our warrior,” she mewed with a bow of gratitude. “But I don’t understand why you’d attack and then save Fangmoon.”

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“We have our reason to attack, but the warrior code says a warrior does not kill to win a battle,” I recited.

“What’s your reason of attack then?” Heathertail hissed crouching beside her shaking, chilled son. “What have we done to you?”

“Our patrols have been catching you crossing our border and stealing prey,” I answered with a snarl. “We have even found remains of prey with Windclan scent.”

All three of the Windclan warriors stared up at me with fear. Ashfoot shook her head with worry. “I assure you it wasn’t us; I swear it on the life of Starclan. There are these rouges that have been attacking Thunderclan and us, stealing our prey. They must be taking our prey and carrying it across the border to cause trouble between us and Riverclan.”

“That means this attack shouldn’t be happening,” I whispered to myself. “We have to get to your camp and stop this battle.”

I raced away from the Windclan warriors at top speed. Considering the age and frailness of Ashfoot, she kept up with me quite well, while Heathertail and Fangmoon trailed slowly behind.

“Since you seem to believe me about the rouges, does that mean they’ve caused you and Shadowclan problems as well?” Ashfoot asked with a pant.

“They attack me and two others near the Shadowclan border a few days ago,” I replied as the camp came into view. “They permanently scarred an apprentice really bad.”

“I hope she is alright,” Ashfoot prayed. “Now let’s go stop this battle and reason with the leaders.”

Together, Ashfoot and I tore through the Windclan camp’s entrance of thistle and bracken. Warriors were battling all over the place in the camp, wounds inflicted on every one of them. Ashfoot had disappeared from my side, pushing her way through the throng of battle to reach the Tallrock, where Onestar called his Clan meetings. From there she hoped to stop the battle between our Clans.

“Stop!” Ashfoot yowled out to the Clans as she clawed her way up on the meeting rock. “This battle is a mistake! Everyone stop fighting, NOW!!!” With her last word, all the cats sprung away from each other in fear of the old deputy. She was angry and tired, and I could tell she wasn’t too happy that everyone had been ignoring her words at first.

“This battle shouldn’t be happening!” Ashfoot announced, all eyes on her. She turned to Reedwhisker. “Riverclan, we have not stolen prey, but the rouges recently have. Thunderclan and Windclan have been framed for stealing from each other as well as from Shadowclan and we have found that the real cause is the rouges. What they are doing is trying to break the Clan apart and have us tear at each other.”

“That doesn’t explain the Windclan scents on our side of the border,” Swiftshadow growled from the crowd.

“We’ve found prey remains with your scent as well,” Troutwater yowled. “Stop trying to make excuses.”

“What these rouges are doing is taking prey from Windclan and crossing into our territory with it,” I broke in from near the camp entrance. All head turned to me now, and made me nervous.

“But it’s always Windclan scents,” Gentlebreeze mewed. “So if its rouges doing it, then where’s their scent.”

Onestar leaped onto his meeting rock. “Have you Riverclan cats never noticed the smudged borders?” he growled with a lash of his tail. “They are tricking us by rolling in our scents; turning us against each other. The real threat is them.”

“He’s got a point,” Cherrypaw’s mentor, Rushflight said. “I have noticed that the borders are overlapping slightly in spots.”

“I don’t understand,” Crowfeather, a dark gray, almost black tom growled. “Why would Riverclan attack us and then go and believe us?”

“It’s because of Florapaw, a Riverclan apprentice that we even found out what Riverclan’s reason was,” Heathertail replied, entering the camp with Fangmoon. “She saved my son from drowning and then explained why the attack was taking place.”

Many of my Clanmates shot glares of anger. I felt annoyed that they hadn’t realized that I just saved everyone’s tails with my mouth. “Why are you all mad at me?” I hissed, leaping on a low tree branch hanging over the camp. “Yeah, I know I

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spoke of our plans, but didn’t it save both Clans from losing any warriors because of the enemy we should be fighting instead?”

Muttering of agreement left the mouths of my Clanmates. I smiled as Swiftshadow limped from the crowd. My eyes filled with worry when I noticed that his back leg was bleeding from a deep bite wound. He shrugged, telling me to forget about it and sat down beside me, facing the Clans. “I believe in Florapaw’s actions, and that she has done good things for Windclan and Riverclan,” he told them. “I think we should be grateful for what she has done for us today.”

Silence met Swiftshadow’s words, until on voice broke the eerie quiet. “Florapaw! Florapaw!” Spottedpaw called from the healer’s den beside Kestralflight. Swiftshadow joined in, and then more voices called out my name. Only one cat from the whole two Clans stayed silent, staring into my eyes with hatred: Reedwhisker, the one that hated me since the day I was born.

I looked away, thinking that I was imagining things and leaned into Swiftshadow. His body vibrated with a purr that I copied. As the Clans still called out my name, I closed my eyes, taking in the good thing that I did today for the sake of my Clan.

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Chapter 12Leader Mistystar-gray she-cat with blue eyesDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyes



Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)Duskfur- brown she-cat with green eyesMinnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyesPebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesApprentice- RainpawMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesApprentice- StormpawMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesHollowflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyesSheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyesMudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Icewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesMossyfoot- brown-and-white she-catFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Rainclaw’s mateRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesWhispersnow- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftshadow- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyes

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Cherryflight- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookstream- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownflare- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesFlorashade- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesApprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Spottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyes; healer apprenticeStormpaw- dark gray tom with white paws and green eyesRainpaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyesSharkpaw- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes and black tailQueens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; expecting Reedwhisker’s kitsElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and SpottedpawMothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesHalfwhisker- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, chest and belly, and scarred faceOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

I yawned and gave a sore stretch as I opened my eyes. I breathed in the familiar scents of the warriors’ den. I shook my head in confusion; how was I in the warriors’ den when I was an apprentice?

I tore from the den and ran into the middle of the clearing. I was met with a crowd of my Clanmates, treated wounds seen on every one of them. Surprisingly their eyes were bright and happy; I wondered if I missed something.

“Good morning, Florapaw,” Swiftshadow purred, pushing past Minnowtail and Mallownose. “Or maybe I should call you Florafaint?”

“I fainted in the middle of Windclan?” I cried in embarrassment. “Oh great Starclan, what they must think of me.”

“You didn’t faint,” he replied, wrapping his tail around mine and leading me to the front of the gathering Clan. “I think you were really tired and fell asleep.”

“Still, that was the last thing I wanted to have happen,” I pouted, my tail dropping low to the ground. “And why was I in the warriors’ den?”

“Because you’re about to be made a warrior, my apprentice.” I looked up with astonishment as Mistystar raced up the Riverrock. Her nose was crusty looking, and her eyes were tired and sickly; I was surprised that Willowshine let her out of

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her nest. “All those old enough to swim and fish, gather beneath the Riverrock for a Clan meeting!”

Most of the Clan had already gathered except the apprentices who were gossiping over something I couldn’t overhear for once. Cherrypaw, Brownpaw, and Brookpaw joined me near the front of the Clan, and I knew I wasn’t the only one becoming a warrior of Riverclan.

“I was told that every warrior and apprentice fought well in the battle and I was disappointed that I couldn’t be there to witness it myself,” Mistystar announced with a raspy purr. “Today I would like to help our Clan grow stronger by naming new warriors of Riverclan. Brookpaw, Cherrypaw, Brownpaw, and Florapaw, will be named under Starclan today for their great courage and strength they gave in the battle.

“I, Mistystar, leader of Riverclan call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these four apprentices. They have trained hard and learned the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in turn. Cherrypaw, Brownpaw, Brookpaw, and Florapaw, do you all promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?” Mistystar leaped down from the Riverrock with a slight stumble in front of us. Willowshine tried to steady the leader, but the blue-gray cat just shook her head and came forward stubbornly.

“I do,” Cherrypaw promised.“I do,” Brownpaw and Brookpaw echoed, sitting up taller.“I do,” I mewed strongly. “Even when I die and join Starclan, I will defend and

protect my Clan. This is, and always will be my home and I will not let anyone harm it.”

Mistystar stopped in front of me, and whispered, “Well said, Florapaw. You always make me proud that you were my apprentice.”The blue-gray she-cat stepped away and padded closer towards Cherrypaw. “Then by the powers of Starclan, vested in me, I give you your warrior names. Cherrypaw, from this moment you shall be known as Cherryflight. You have shown that you are a noble and strong warrior of courage. Welcome to Riverclan as a full warrior.” Cherryflight and Mistystar did the normal ritual of leader nose on warrior’s head, and a respectful lick on the leader’s shoulder before sitting down. Brownpaw was next, doing the same thing after her received his warrior name, as well as Brookpaw.

“Brownpaw, from this moment, you shall be named Brownflare,” Mistystar continued. “You have shown loyalty to your Clan, and nobody doubts it. I am proud to name you a warrior of Riverclan at last.

“Brookpaw, you shall take the name Brookstream. Your heart flows like any gentle stream or brook and yet you can be a dangerous warrior in battle. I am happy to name you as a warrior of Riverclan.”

My turn came to be honored by my warrior name. I sat straight and tall as Mistystar stopped before me with pride swelling into her watery, tired eyes. “Florapaw, my apprentice, I am proud to name you a warrior on this day. Florapaw, from this moment you shall be called Florashade. You remind me so much of your mother, my young warrior. You have shown me her courage and loyalty towards your Clan, as well as the love and care she had once shown it. Your mother’s spirit runs with you, and she will protect and defend you as much as you will do so for your Clan. I am so proud and happy to see you become a warrior while I was still leader.”

I dipped my head and my old mentor placed her nose between my ears. I licked her shoulder in respect and then threw myself at her in a hug. “Thank you for your teachings and knowledge,” I whispered in her ear.

“Anything for my former mentor’s daughter,” she purred. “You are like a daughter to me ever since she told me to watch over you after she gave me my last life.”

“I’m sure she had complete trust in you as well,” I replied, backing away.Mistystar stumbled back to the Riverrock and clambered up. This was the

time the Clan cheered out the names of Riverclan’s new warriors. Swiftshadow joined me at my side, purring my warrior name in my ear. Florashade… Florashade. I thought it had a nice ring to it, but it also should some kind of darkness to it. Was there some part of me that Mistystar saw that I couldn’t yet?

The Clan quieted down on their own, noticing that our leader had something more to say. “Last night’s battle ended well for both Windclan and us,” she started. “I feel terrible that we couldn’t talk with Onestar before jumping to conclusions but

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the safety of our Clan came first and the evidence was clear to us. Now we know the real truth and the rouges will never get between the Clans. We will stand together to fight, not go against each other.

“Next on my mind, the rouges are the major threat right now,” she continued with a lash of her graying tail. “They have almost turned the Clans against each other until it was too late, and I’m sure they won’t stop until they succeed. Until the Clans can chase these unwanted felines away, all patrols must contain six or more cats. Also, Windclan will stay in touch with Windclan, who can pass us news of what’s happening with Thunderclan. Tomorrow I will send Reedwhisker and a patrol to Russetstar and speak to Shadowclan about the happenings.

“For the rest of the day, we can relax,” Mistystar added. “I want a couple hunting patrols out near the borders, but remember, watch out for any unfamiliar cats. Brownflare can lead a hunting patrol near the Shadowclan border, and Florashade near the Windclan border. The new warriors can sit their vigil later tonight when dusk is close.”

Reedwhisker stepped from the crowd of cats. “Cherryflight and Brookstream can head the border patrols for at sunhigh. Remember, all patrols must have at least six cats in them! Now go, and good luck patrols.”

The gathering of the Clan broke up, and went to their duties. Some stopped by to each of us new warriors and congratulated each of us on becoming warriors. Even the younger apprentices gave a nod of respect and recognition instead of jealousy and hate like most.

Swiftshadow nuzzled my shoulder with his nose. “Let’s go get your hunting patrol.” I dipped my head in agreement and lead the way to a group of warriors. Whispersnow and Gentlebreeze described the Windclan battle to Mintfur and Streammoon who had missed the battle for guarding the camp instead.

“Hey, guys,” I greeted the she-cats. “Would you like to join my hunting patrol?”

“Of course we would, Florashade!” Streammoon purred with delight. “I need to get out and stretch my legs.”

I nodded and gave a smile to the others. “Then if you all are ready, let’s go.”For the first time ever I was ordered to lead a patrol instead of asking. I was

in command of these cats at the moment and it felt different to not be the one being ordered around. With my tail and head held high in the air, we made our way towards the camp entrance leading to the Windclan border. We halted near the reed barrier as it shook at the other end of the camp, Brownflare hissing in fury as Tigerheart and Dawnpelt burst from the entrance in front of the new warrior.

“Mistystar we come in need of help!” Tigerheart panted, limping towards the startled blue-gray leader. “The rouges attacked our camp in high numbers and they’re killing us.”

Mistystar was about to speak when Grasspelt snarled to the brown tabby, “We just fought a battle yesterday with Windclan by mistake, we are wounded ourselves without helping you. Why don’t you ask Thunderclan if you need help?”

“No, Grasspelt, we will help them,” Mistystar disagreed, leaping down from her meeting rock. “All warriors and apprentice capable of fighting must go to the Shadowclan camp and fight these cats off, maybe for once and for all.”

“Is there any way of getting Windclan’s help as well?” Dawnpelt pleaded. “There’s too many for three Clans to manage.”

“Are you telling me that Thunderclan is already helping you?” Willowshine gasped from in front of her den. “How many rouges attacked you?”

“Obviously enough that four Clans must come together to rid the lake territories of them,” Reedwhisker growled. “Soulsong, go find Windclan and bring their healthiest warriors, then go to the Shadowclan camp and hope we all are still fighting.”

“What if they don’t believe me?” the white she-cat mewed, her hackles raised in fear.

“If they look like they are about to attack, leave and just go to Shadowclan,” he suggested. “If they just look hesitant, tell them that this may be the only chance to get rid of these rouges forever.”

“I’ll be sure to be there soon with Windclan warriors,” Soulsong promised before taking off through the entrance going to Windclan’s border.

Mistystar trotted to the middle of the camp. “All four Clans are going to be fighting these rouges today, and I’m sure they might try and attack elsewhere. I’m

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going to leave Reedwhisker here with the apprentices; this battle is going to be too dangerous for them. Willowshine, you will come with Spottedpaw. Troutwater, Mallownose, Whispersnow, Swiftshadow, Florashade, Pebblefoot, and Brownflare, I want you all in one group that’ll attack first; I will lead it. The second group will have Streammoon, Weedfrost, Hollowing, Icewing, Brookstream, Robinwing, and Sheerwind; you will all attack when you hear my command. Cherryflight, Rushtail, Rainclaw, Breezestorm, Mudreed, Gentlebreeze, Petalfur, Mintfur, Minnowtail, and Duskfur, you will all remain here with Reedwhisker, the apprentices, the elders and Brightsoul.”

“Wait, Mistystar,” Halfwhisker called from the back. Her Clanmates parted to let the gray tabby she-cat to pass through. “I want to fight with my Clan.”

“I don’t think you are ready to fight these cats again, Halfwhisker, maybe next time,” Graymist mewed softly.

“Your mentor is right, Halfwhisker,” Mistystar replied. “You are needed here in case they break off and attack here as well.” Turning to her chosen warriors, Mistystar ordered, “Break into your groups and follow me and the Shadowclan warriors. We will teach these cats that they are not welcome here!”

Our feet splashed through the swampy territory of Shadowclan as we made it under the cover of the pine trees. Rain began dropping down from the darkening sky, making it muddier than usual. The sounds of battle were coming closer, and we weren’t even near the camp yet.

“Where did the rouges attack?” I asked Dawnpelt beside me.“They started with our border patrol, but luckily they weren’t too far from

camp to get help,” she answered, leaping over a large, fallen tree. “Unless the rouges broke through our ranks and Thunderclan’s, they should still be fighting outside the camp.”

Mistystar had overheard our conversation and offered to Tigerheart, “With your agreement, I would like to station a couple of my warriors in your camp to keep any rouges from getting in.”

“Agreed,” Tigerheart growled. “I will do anything to keep these rouges from hurting our elders, queens, and kits. I also wish to thank you for helping my Clan.”

“By fighting beside you now is helping us all,” I mewed to the brown tabby deputy.

“Point taken,” he growled as pelts of many cats flashed between the pine trees, trying to hide in the shadows.

Mistystar glanced over her shoulder and called, “Whispersnow, Brownflare, and… Rainpaw, Stormpaw, and Sharkpaw didn’t I say no apprentices?”

My Clanmates and I turned around, following our leader’s gaze. “We wanted to help defeat the rouges that hurt our sister,’ Sharkpaw mewed strongly. “I promised that we would avenge what they did to her.”

“Maybe letting them come will keep them out of any more trouble,” Willowshine suggested. “To keep them safe, station them in the camp.”

“Good idea,” the blue-gray leader agreed quietly. “Fine, you three can go with Whispersnow, Rainclaw, and Brownflare to the Shadowclan camp and keep it safe from any rouges. Just don’t do anything that’ll get you hurt.”

“We won’t,” Rainpaw promised as the three brothers chased after the warriors.

I leaned in close when Willowshine spoke to Mistystar in a whisper. “Mistystar, you still are being hit with the effects of whitecough,” she mewed. “Maybe you should go to the camp as well.”

“If you are trying to imply that I shouldn’t waste my last two lives on this battle, then… I must agree with you.” The leader turned back to her Clanmates, her eyes searching for someone. “Gentlebreeze, come with me to the Shadowclan camp. I have a feeling three warriors and apprentices won’t cover the protection for the camp.”

Mistystar and the blue-black warrior raced towards the Shadowclan camp. Tigerheart and Dawnpelt took the lead once more, trailing through their territory in a crouch, as if they were the mice and the rouges were the feared hunters. Battle cries sounded all around us, but only shadowy silhouettes could be seen among the trees and bushes.

Tigerheart let out a screech as a huge golden tom burst out from the bushes. They slammed to the ground as they tore into each other. More rouges fell upon

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Dawnpelt and my Clanmates behind me. I was panicking as claws swiped at my Clanmates and teeth tore into their pelts. I hadn’t expected an ambush, and I hadn’t exactly been trained to deal with one either.

A gray-and-black she-cat leaped at me, her movement catching my eye. I tried to move, but I had seen her too late. The rouge she-cat bit down and tore into my shoulder, the one that had been injured in the battle against Shadowclan. Pain seared through my blood, and my muscles screamed in agony. Even through the intense pain, I attacked the she-cat, batting her sides with my claws and biting down into her ear. The ear was the best place to injure. Any cat would think they were losing a lot of blood because the ear skin was so thin, but this cat wasn’t even fazed one bit, even with blood flowing into her eyes.

The she-cat began pushing me to the ground on my stomach with her heavy paws. Her claws dug into my back, making me yowl with agony. I tried pushing my back up against her greater weight, but the force of her claws digging into my spine was sending shock waves of pain piercing through my bones. My legs were starting to weaken as my shoulder bled fiercely, barely being able to support me, and the she-cat forcing me to the ground where she was about to finish me off.

Then an idea popped into my pounding head. Digging my paws into the soggy ground, I fell into a crouch with swift movements. The she-cat on top of me loosened her hold, confused on what was going on. I noticed that her weight was still more on the side where she had bit into my shoulder, gripping onto my pelt with her claws. I let myself fall to the other side, dragging the surprised she-cat with me, and when I was almost to the ground, I push myself down quickly, flinging the she-cat into the trees, her surprised yowls trailing after her.

I struggled to my paws, keeping the weight off my one shoulder. Cats flew around me, their claws flashing in the little sunlight that could break through the pine trees that crowded the territory. I felt like the rouge cats were growing stronger in numbers, but nobody had any idea of where they were coming from. I was determined to find the source of their arrival, but what would happen if I went in there like this, with my shoulder bleeding terribly, my other legs weak, and my head growing fuzzy?

I limped my way towards the Shadowclan camp, keeping low and hidden in the brambles and soft ferns. Between two trees I found a batch of cobwebs and pulled them down, placing a small patch of them on my shoulder to slow down the bleeding. The rest of the cobwebs I kept wrapped around my paw I couldn’t walk on and took it with me to the camp.

At the entrance, the sounds of fighting had ceased a little, but were still vocally strong. “It’s Florashade,” I called at the entrance before entering. I didn’t want to get attack in case the Clan cats on guard inside thought it was a rouge. “I need some help.”

A gray head put her head through the entrance. “You’re a Riverclan warrior,” she observed. She spotted my shoulder wound and added, “Let’s get you to a healer.”

The queen disappeared into the camp again. I limped through the fern barrier, lined with brambles for the entrance. Inside the camp, everyone was calm because the camp was so heavily guarded by warriors of Thunderclan, Riverclan, and Shadowclan. Cats were stationed all around the walls of the camp, just in case rouges felt like breaking through the barrier. The Clan’s elders slept soundly in their den around a tortoiseshell queen who looked like she was only days away from kitting.

I followed the gray queen to the healers’ den off to the side of the camp near the nursery. Three cats worked with herbs outside. The Shadowclan healer, Mistcloud was finishing a treatment on a leg bite that Dawnpelt had received. Thunderclan’s healer, Jayfeather, and his apprentice, Destinypaw worked side by side to treat the many scratches the Thunderclan deputy, Squirrelflight had taken from the rouges. Thankfully Willowshine was helping no one, so that hopefully meant no Riverclan warriors had been hurt really bad yet, and that they weren’t being stubborn.

“Willowshine, Florashade needs seeing to,” the gray queen mewed to the gray tabby healer.

My healer looked up just as my sister exited the Shadowclan healers’ den with herbs. “Thank you, Shrewfoot,” Willowshine purred, getting to her paws.

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“Now,” she said to me, “let’s see what damage those crow-food eaters have done to your shoulder.”

As Willowshine removed the blood soaked cobwebs from my shoulder, I mewed, “I brought some extra cobwebs that I found on my way here.”

“Good, because we’ll need it, but not for you,” she replied with a sigh. “You did a good job putting the cobweb on and it completely stopped the bleeding already for me. This may hurt a bit, but I’m going to wash the dried blood from around the wound so I can inspect it better.”

I nodded and gritted my teeth as Willowshine’s tongue rasped against the wound. I watched for any more blood that might flow from wound, but it stayed clean as my healer finished up. Willowshine moved me into a small patch of sunlight in the camp and inspected the wound more clearly.

“Well, the wound isn’t too deep,” she reported to me. “A couple muscles might be torn, but the worst that’s wrong is that it’s wrenched out of place. Thankfully that can be fixed, but it hurts.”

“Anything to get me back into the battle,” I rushed.“Okay, keep your fur on,” she purred. “Mistcloud, can you come help me with

Florashade?’The gray she-cat left her spot where she had finished with Dawnpelt and left

her resting for a bit. “What happened?” the Shadowclan healer asked, standing beside Willowshine.

“Florashade wrenched her shoulder, and I need you to hold her down while I put it back,” Willowshine explained.

“I’d be more than happy to help,” Mistcloud replied, her voice sweet and gentle.

Willowshine nodded and told me to lie down on my good side. Mistcloud moved into position behind my back, where she placed her forepaws on my head and back legs so I wouldn’t scratch or bite my healer accidently. When Mistcloud said she was ready, and I second that, Willowshine pushed on my shoulder, curling her paws under the bone. Pain seared through my shoulder and down my leg as the misplaced bone moved slowly back into place. I struggled under Mistcloud, wanting the pain to stop, until there was a click and the worst of the pain was gone.

“Finished,” Willowshine breathed. Mistcloud got off of me and nuzzled me to my paws. “You still might not be able to put much weight on that leg, but at least you can go back into battle,” the Riverclan healer added.

“Thanks, you two,” I purred, putting my paw on the ground and testing how much weight I really could put on it. Full weight wasn’t even an option; otherwise I would tumble face first into the ground, so I would have to limp on it for the rest of the battle.

I began gaiting towards the entrance to the den where Shrewfoot took her position once again, along with Whispersnow and Sharkpaw. “Florashade, wait, I’ll see you out,” Mistcloud called, trotting after me.

“I’m okay on my own, you know,” I told her carefully.“I know, but I wanted to speak with you,” she mewed. “I was curious if you

were the apprentice that had beaten my Clan’s leader and deputy.”I ducked my head away in embarrassment, and mewed shyly, “I was, but I

was just protecting my Clan as any apprentice would.” I lifted my head higher, adding, “But I’m a warrior of Riverclan now.”

“You weren’t just an apprentice,” Swiftshadow mewed, limping into the camp with bloody wounds scoring down his sides and a torn ear. “Florashade had only just became an apprentice when Shadowclan attacked, and she only knew about three to four moves at the time.”

“Impressive,” Mistcloud mused. “I would’ve liked to see that battle for myself.”

“I was terrified that day,” I admitted, closing my eyes as those familiar sounds of battle came closer to camp. “But I do what I must to protect my Clan.”

Mistcloud took some marigold from Willowshine as the gray tabby healer walked past to inspect Swiftshadow’s wounds and treat them. Mistcloud chewed on the herb before spitting it back out and smoothing it over my shoulder wound, saying, “Florashade, you have become a great warrior for your Clan, and will continue to do so until you fulfill your destiny.”

I cocked my head to one side in confusion. “Mistcloud… what do you mean?” I asked hesitantly.

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“Why, my dear,” she whispered, “when the time comes, the one with the shaded heart will burst into flames and rise as one with the Clans, and you are that cat.”

“Is that some kind of prophecy?” Swiftshadow growled, overhearing the last of our conversation. Willowshine had moved on to treat Weedfrost’s wounds, so Swiftshadow came closer so he could lower his voice. “Do you know what it means for her?”

“It’s a prophecy that I wasn’t meant to hear,” Mistcloud admitted. “It was an accident that Nightstar said anything about it. But I do know, without anyone telling me, that you, Florashade, will save the Clans from great danger to come. Though I’m sorry to say, you will lose some things most precious to you as you travel down your destiny’s path.”

Chapter 13Thunderclan

Leader Bramblestar- brown tabby tom with amber eyesApprentice- Singepaw (patchy gray tom with green eyes)

Deputy Squirrelflight- ginger she-cat with green eyes

Healer Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes Apprentice- Destinypaw (brown-and-gray she-cat with white patches and

blue eyes)

Warriors Spiderleg- black tom with brown underbelly and gold eyes; mate to Daisy

Lionblaze- golden tabby tom with amber eyes; son of Crowfeather and Leafpool; Cinderheart’s mate

Apprentice- Omenpaw (gray-and-white she-cat; kit of Crystalfern and Patchbreeze)

Honeyglow- golden-cream she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Leafpool- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Birchfall- light brown tabby tom with amber eyesApprentice- Hollypaw (black-and-cream she-cat with green eyes; kit of Daisy)

Berrynose- cream colored tom with green eyesApprentice- Jewelpaw (tortishell-and-gray she-cat with green eyes; Pearlpaw’s

sister)

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Hazeltail- gray-and-white she-cat with gold eyes; Berrynose’s sister

Moleshard- brown-and-cream tom with green eyes

Cherryflare- ginger she-cat with gold eyes

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom with green eyes; Berrynose’s brother; father of Owlpaw

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes; Lionblaze’s mate

Foxleap- reddish tabby tom with gold eyes

Fringeflare- golden tom with white paws and amber eyes

Blossomfall- tortishell-and-white she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Seedpaw (very pale ginger she-cat)

Bumbleflight- gray tabby tom with green eyes; Dovewing’s mateApprentice- Flowerpaw (black-and-white she-cat with light green eyes)

Ivypool- silvery-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes; Dovewing’s sisterApprentice- Pearlpaw (gray she-cat with hazel eyes; Jewelpaw’s sister)

Flashstorm- gray-and-white tom with gold eyes; kit of Hazeltail and Bumbleflight

Crystalfern- white she-cat with crystal-blue eyes

Patchbreeze- gray-and-brown, patchy tom with blue-amber eyes

Thrushtail- white tom with brown spotted tail and green eyesApprentice- Owlpaw (gray-and-cream tom with green eyes; Mousewhisker’s and

Icecloud’s kit)

Toadstep- black-and-white tom with gold eyes

Rosepetal- dark cream she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Snowpaw (white tom with amber eyes)

Poppyfrost- tortishell she-cat with green eyes; mother of Cherryflare and Moleshard

Icecloud- white she-cat with blue eyes; Foxleap’s sister; mother of Owlpaw

Timberwind- calico-and-cream tom with amber eyesApprentice- Dewpaw (gray tom with amber eyes)

Jemstream- tortishell she-cat with gold eyes and white paws

Millie- striped gray tabby she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Amberpaw (gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, right ear, and

amber eyes)

Sorriltail- tortishell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Queens Daisy- cream she-cat with gold eyes

Whitewing- white she-cat with blue eyes; nursing Birchfall’s kits: Cottonkit (white she-cat), Iriskit (white-and-light brown she-cat), and Tundrakit (white tabby she-cat)

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Dovewing- fluffy gray she-cat with blue-green eyes; Ivyheart’s sister; expecting Bumbleflight’s kits

Elders Sandstorm- ginger she-cat with light green eyes

Cloudtail- white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches and amber eyes

Dustpelt- brown tabby tom with green eyes

Spiderleg- black tom with brown underbelly and gold eyes; mate to Daisy

Briarlight- dark brown she-cat with broken lower spine and gold eyes

Thornclaw- golden-brown tabby tom with green eyes

ShadowclanLeader Rowenstar- ginger tom with amber eyes

Deputy Tigerheart- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Healer Mistcloud- gray she-cat with green eyes; kit of Kinkfur; sister of Dewshine

Warriors Pepperleg- black-and-gray tom with blue eyes

Dewshine- pale gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

Blackflower- black, shiny she-cat with green eyes

Emberflame- ginger tom with amber eyes

Wolfpelt- brown-and-cream tom with gold eye; kit of Dawnpelt

Ashclaw- gray tom with black paws; kit of Shrewfoot and Smokefoot

Stoneshadow- blue-gray-and-black tom with green eyes

Clawfire- ginger, black tabby, tom with green eyes

Smokefoot- black tom with amber eyes

Toadfoot- brown tom with gold eyes

Applefur- brown she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Thrustpaw (tortishell she-cat with blue eyes)

Crowfrost- black-and-white tom with gold eyes

Pineshadow- black she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw- light brown tabby tom with green eyes

Scorchfur- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Dawnpelt- cream she-cat with green eyes

Tawnypelt- tortishell she-cat with green eyes

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Sourwave- cream-gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Ferretclaw- cream-and-gray tom with green eyes

Starlingwing- ginger tom with gold eyes

Stoatclaw- skinny ginger tom with amber eyes

Queens Shrewfoot- gray she-cat with black paws and green eyes; mate to Smokefoot

Olivenose- tortishell she-cat with gold eyes; Expecting Pepperleg’s kits

Elders Oakfur- small brown tom with gold eyes

Snaketail- brown tom with striped tail and green eyes

Whitewater- white she-cat with blue eyes

Ivytail- black-white-and-tortishell she-cat with green eyes

Snowbird- white she-cat with green eyes

Littlecloud- very small tabby tom with blue eyes

WindclanLeader Onestar- brown tabby tom with gold eyesDeputy Ashfoot- gray she-cat with amber eyesHealer Kestralflight- mottle gray tom with green eyesWarriors Lizardfang- golden-brown tom with gold eyesLionclaw- golden tom with amber eyesOwlwhisker- light brown tabby tom with green eyesApprentice- Dewpaw (gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes)Whiskernose- light brown tom with gold eyesWhitetail- white she-cat with green eyesLeaftail- tabby she-cat with amber eyesHarespring- brown-and-white tom with green eyesApprentice- Flightpaw (gray tom with green eyes)Heathertail- brown she-cat with blue eyesFurzepelt- gray-and-white she-cat with gold eyesDiamondstorm- black-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyesBoulderflame- gray tom with amber eyesSedgewhisker- brown tabby she-cat with green eyesApprentice- Pricklepaw (gray she-cat with blue eyes)Emberfoot- gray tom with amber eyesCosmicshine- golden she-cat with white paws and blue eyesEaglewing- brown-and-white tom with blue eyes

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Dawnmoon- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyesFangmoon- black to with white paws and gold eyesApprentice- Pouncepaw (brown-and-cream tom with blue eyes)Birdnight- black-and-white she-cat with green eyesQueens Frozenpath- white she-cat with blue eyes; nursing Boulderflame’s kits:

Rockkit (gray tabby tom with green eyes) and Shardkit (white she-cat with blue eyes)Elders Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws and green eyesWebfoot- gray tabby tom with green eyesSunstrike- tortishell she-cat with blind amber eyes

I decided to rest with Swiftshadow before going back into battle, my mind wheeling with questions. Windclan had come with a few warriors that hadn’t been too wounded from the fight Riverclan had given them. It helped the Clans gain some numbers against the rouges, but the crow-food eating cats still fought just as hard. It seemed to me that these rouges were trying to drive the Clans out, or at least Shadowclan, but would these cats want with territory when rouges never settled in one place?

The yowls and battle cries sounded from just outside the camp now, and the warriors stationed inside were ready to defend Shadowclan’s camp with claws and teeth. I leaped to my paws with Swiftshadow as the entrance to Shadowclan’s camp rustled violently as cats pushed their way through with a struggle. The first to fall into the clearing was Bramblestar, followed by Reedwhisker, Onestar, Heathertail, Crowfeather, and Soulsong. Nothing followed from behind the Clan cats, but the newcomers lined up in front of the entrance. I pushed Swiftshadow forward and we joined the other stationed cats in lines blocking the only way into the camp.

The overwhelming stench of crow-food flowed into the camp. I had a feeling that something wasn’t right, as if this was a trick to distract our warriors from any other part of the camp. I turned around to check the Shadowclan camp for any sneaking rouges, but only Mistystar paced around with Bramblestar and Onestar.

A yowl sounded from the entrance and instantly was followed by a huge group of rouges. All the efforts to keep the rouges out of the camp failed as it erupted into fighting. I was thrown to my paws in the impact, held down by the stare from green eyes. Black fur hid the face of my enemy, but I knew this cat: he was the one that had harmed Halfwhisker and gave her that horrible name.

“This is for Halfwhisker!” I yelled, using all of my strength and forced the tom from me with my back legs contacting with his face. The black cat went barreling to the ground, knocking Whispersnow off her paws. Before the tom could get to his paws, Whispersnow leaped up and attacked the rouge, embedding her teeth into his side. The tom growled with anger and swiped out a large paw, smashing into the gray-and-white she-cat’s head and knocking her to the ground with great strength.

I had no idea what I had done to this cat, but the black tom was determined to get me sooner or later. He lunged at me once Whispersnow was sure to be on the ground for a while longer. Why didn’t he just attack the other cats around him, like most warriors even do? Why did always come back to me and seem to try and kill me? I didn’t even know this cat, but somehow he knew me.

The tom never touched me. He stopped about two-tail lengths from my reach, crouched down in a submission manner. “My name is Jet,” he mewed. His voice was deep and had a unforgettable sound to it, like a small, smooth rumble of thunder. “I am the leader of Pureclan, and I see great promise in you and wish for you to join my Clan as a fighter.”

“I rather die than join you!” I snarled, leaping for the tom in mid-air. Even though the rouge was unprepared for an attack, he reared up on his hind legs, causing him to rise up higher that I had ever seen any cat do. He swiped out one of his big paws, hitting my bad shoulder and sending me yowling to the ground. I

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never was giving the time to move from my stomach before Jet had his paws on my back, holding me firmly to the ground.

I felt his stinky breath at my ear. “You have to choices, warrior,” he growled. “One: you can join me and your Clan will live, or two: you can reject my simple offer and watch your Clan friends die around you. It’s your choice, but I want your answer two sunsets from now by the Shadowclan border. And if you bring any warriors, I will know and you will be killed with them.”

All of Jet’s weight left me startled on the ground. I glanced over my shoulder as the black rouge leader gave the call of retreat. His allies tore away from their enemies, and flowed out of the camp like a river, Jet and a golden tom going last of all. All was silent for a bit until Clan cats began calling the names of their missing Clanmates.

I got to my paws as all the Clan cats helped each other find their wounded and dead. Swiftshadow padded to me, after helping the Windclan warrior Crowfeather find his mother Ashfoot, worry clouding his gold eyes.

“What did that rouge want with you?’ he asked curiously. More cats heard Swiftshadow’s question and began commenting on it as they crowded around. Reedwhisker pushed through waiting for my answer and then probably humiliate me in front of the other Clan cats.

“He told me that he wants me to join his Clan, which he calls Pureclan,” I replied carefully. “If I don’t join him, he said that I would die with my Clanmates.”

Whispersnow limped forward with Willowshine. “You aren’t actually thinking about joining this Pureclan, are you?” Whispersnow asked sadly. “I wouldn’t want to see you go.”

“If she left, she’d be a traitor to her Clan!” Toadfoot growled from the Shadowclan cats around their healer.

Swiftshadow stepped forward with a lash of his tail. “Florashade would never leave her Clan,” he objected. “She is tied to it with her heart and nobody can break the strength of that tie.”

Reedwhisker’s eyes shadowed with something that reminded me of mischief. “Why don’t you let the newly appointed warrior speak for herself? I mean, if she wants to join Pureclan and make us suffer, then she can go, but she doesn’t necessarily have to stay. We would love her with all our hearts no matter what right?”

Hesitant murmurs rose from my Clanmates, murmurs of uncertainty instead of agreement. I crouched low, feeling unwanted, but hatred had filled my heart because of Reedwhisker’s mouth. He meant to drive me away from the Clan, but I wasn’t going to let one cat push me away with words.

I stood back up, straight, tall, and proud next to Swiftshadow. “No matter what that rouge leader threatens me with, whether its with words or battle,” I yowled, “he will never get me to join his Clan of crow-food eaters. If he does succeed, I won’t be going down without a fight.”

“Well said, youngster,” my Clanmate Mudreed purred with a nod of his head. “Don’t let any of us make you feel like we don’ trust you. You are a Riverclan cat a heart, Florashade.” I stared down Reedwhisker as he snorted and padded away with anger. Rowenstar narrowed his eyes at the Riverclan deputy before taking his spot. “This isn’t something Shadowclan usually does, but the thanks of all of us go with each of the Clans today,” the russet Shadowclan leader announced.

“It might’ve helped all of us to fight now,” Onestar pointed out. “And we wouldn’t let any Clan stand alone with these unruly rouges prowling around.”

Bramblestar padded up from behind me, and said, “I’m just glad these rouges aren’t like the ones back in the forest.”

“You mean Bloodclan?” Tawnypelt hissed, stepping forward to her brother. “Let’s just pray to Starclan that we can get rid of them before any word of Bloodclan reaches their ears.”

A small tortoiseshell she-cat appeared from the crowd and asked Tawnypelt, “What’s Bloodclan?”

Most of the cats in the Shadowclan camp gasped with surprise. “How does Thrustpaw not know about them?” Lionblaze wondered out loud. “I mean, it was always a common story told to us kits when I was young.”

Rowenstar shook his head and stared at the ground. “It is a tale I will tell you some other time, Thrustpaw.” To the other Clan cats, “I decided to have the elders

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not tell stories about Bloodclan because it makes us look weak. At the time we had no leader and we were still combined with Riverclan under a Riverclan leader. Fighting Bloodclan was the only thing that gave us our pride and release from all the blood spilled under Tigerstar’s control.”

“But that was seasons upon seasons ago, Rowenstar,” Willowshine pointed out. “Surely it shouldn’t affect you still?”

The Shadowclan leader just shrugged and changed the subject. “Maybe you all should head home and treat your wounded,” he suggested. “I would like to have my healer give you all enough catmint to help you through leaf-bare since it’s so dry this green-leaf and might’ve killed your supplies. It’ll be my thanks to you.”

No Clan objected to the herb offering. Each Clan healer made their way to Mistcloud’s den to receive the thank you gift that would help their Clans in the future leaf-bare to come. The Shadowclan healer divided her pile of catmint between the three Clans. “I have plenty more in the forest that I can pick later, so you all can have what I have here,” she mewed.

While the healers finished speaking with each other, the Clans began separating back into their own ranks. I watched as Whispersnow and Icewing joined their Clanmates with a limp Mossyfoot hanging from their jaws. I lowered my head, noticing that many more might’ve died without Windclan’s help, and then where would we have gone from there?

Mistystar took the lead with Reedwhisker in taking the Clan back home. Blood splattered the way out of the forest, marking that the battle had forced its way into Riverclan territory but no farther than a little ways over the border. Bodies of rouge cats lay limply on the ground, showing that the Clan cats were fighting like rouges themselves. Of course, this had happened only once before, when the Dark Forest had attacked the Clans and fought just like rouges, so the leaders declared that the only way to win was to kill.

The camp was silent when we entered. Many of the cats had slipped away into their nests to get some shut eye before the Gathering that was supposed to take place tonight. Obviously only the unharmed cats were going from the Clans, and maybe a few others, but after that fight, the Gathering was going to be quiet and short.

“Mistystar, who were you choosing for the Gathering?” Willowshine asked. She had to of read my mind somehow, or we just were thinking along the same lines.

“Any cat that didn’t fight in the battle will be going,” she replied. “Reedwhisker will lead them to the island. I want Spottedpaw to go as well.”

“Is that all you are sending?” Reedwhisker mewed. “It’ll make us seem weak.”

I stepped forward with disgust, interrupting Mistystar’s reply. “How can you even think of that?” I growled. “All four Clans just fought together to rid the lake of the rouges and all you can think of is that we’ll look weak to the other Clans? An alliance like that isn’t going to just fade in a few last rays of sunlight.”

Reedwhisker looked a little taken aback and surprised. “I’d advise you to stay in your place, young Florashade,” he growled with narrowed eyes. “You are in no position to tell me what I can and cannot think.”

SwiftshadowReedwhisker choose me to go to the Gathering with the unharmed cats from

home. Spottedpaw padded beside me, her sister left back at camp to sit her vigil and most likely punishment for yelling at Reedwhisker. Honestly, I completely agreed with Florashade’s thoughts on the deputy’s way of thinking. The Clans just fought all together for the third time, defeating a common enemy, and all Reedwhisker seemed to think about is that the other Clans will see us weak and attack us.

I leaped up on the tree-bridge behind Icewing. The white she-cat had been another one of our warriors that hadn’t been too badly hurt, along with Mallownose and Minnowtail. Not many of our warriors were fit enough to come, but those that did were lucky; it was going to be an interesting Gathering.

When everyone was on the island, the leaders didn’t waste time and started the meeting immediately. “What are we going to do about these rouges?” Rowenstar growled with fear. “We can’t keep on fighting them like this.”

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“We haven’t had these kinds of problems since Bloodclan,” Bramblestar pointed out. “These rouges here aren’t any stronger.”

“At least there were no signs of dog teeth and claws on them,” the Thunderclan deputy, Squirrelflight admitted. “We would be in no state to fight cats like that again.”

Rowenstar dug his claws into the branch he sat on. “What I was trying to tell you is that we can’t do this forever. We all are going to grow weak and easily be picked off.”

“My Clan will never be weak!” Onestar yowled, lashing his tail in anger. “I see what he means,” Reedwhisker mewed, stepping towards Onestar. “As

time goes on and if these attacks continue, all the Clans could run low on warriors, herbs, and even start turning on each other. Then there’s the possibility of the rouges attacking one Clan at a time and wiping that Clan out, making it so that we can combine again and beat them.”

“Why don’t you just combine into one Clan then?” Every warrior snapped around, hackles high and teeth bared in snarls. “Wait,

its just Smoky and Floss from the barn,” Bramblestar announced. “Let them join us.”

The warriors from all the Clans parted to let the loners pass to the leaders’ tree. “Now what were you saying before, Smoky?” Bramblestar asked the gray-and-white loner.

“Become one now instead of later,” he repeated. “Together you are stronger.”

“But there’s always been four Clans,” Jayfeather told the loner. “We can’t just get rid of that because of a threat that might go away.”

Smoky shook his head. “You are young, I understand that you might not follow,” he chuckled. “The thing is, time changes everything, and everything changes throughout time. Sooner or later, you will become one and stay that way for the sake of your Clanmates.”

“Father!” Three cats from the rank of Thunderclan barreled into the loner. Floss, his gray-and-white companion shuffled out of the way, met up with her old friend Daisy. Hazeltail, Berrynose, and Mousewhisker threw themselves into Smoky, their size so much greater than the loner’s from the muscles that gained during their warrior lifetime.

“Thanks for your thoughts Smoky,” Reedwhisker mewed with a slight laugh as the loner tried pushing his warrior-kits off him. “You are welcome to stay the rest of the Gathering if you wish.”

“Thanks, I will,” Smoky panted, finally getting loose from his children.Rowenstar cleared his throat for attention. “What I would like to know is what

made your loners come tonight?”Floss stepped nervously forward. “I heard some fighting early today from

across the lake. Smoky knew that there would be a Gathering tonight and we decided to come and see if everything was alright.”

“Just some problems with some rouges, Floss, nothing more,” Bramblestar reassured her. “But thank you for your concern.”

“Can we get on with this Gathering?” Onestar growled impatiently. “With those cats prowling around I don’t even feel safe under the truce of Starclan.”

“I’ll start,” Rowenstar mewed. “Before the battle, about two day ago, Clawpaw and Stoatpaw were made into warriors, and are here tonight as Clawfire and Stoatclaw. Olivenose has also moved into the nursery, expecting Pepperleg’s kits.”

Rowenstar stepped back and let Bramblestar move forward. “Thunderclan has one new warrior, not here tonight, and his new name is Flashstorm. I also would like to report that Thornclaw has moved into the elders’ den for peace and rest.”

Onestar went next, reporting that Birdpaw was now a warrior and known as Birdnight, made a warrior just before Soulsong had reached the camp to fetch some of their warriors for the battle. “I would like to report that Frozenpath has finally had her kits; two healthy kits.”

Reedwhisker stepped forward, anger flashing in his eyes. “Did none of you lose any warriors today?” he growled. “Unlike you, I’m going to honor the one we lost. Today, in the battle with the rouges, Riverclan lost our beloved Mossyfoot. She will be greatly missed, but thankfully welcomed by Starclan. A for good news, Riverclan has four new warriors: Brookstream, Cherryflight, Brownflare, and…

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Florashade. Also, at the start of this moon, Sharkpaw, Rainpaw, Stormpaw and Sweetpaw were made into apprentices. Sweetpaw has become greatly scarred but is recovering and training once again.”

“What happened to the apprentice?” Bramblestar asked.“Rouges.”The journey back to camp was quiet. Everyone was tired and sore from the

battle, except those that didn’t go of course. I realized that Halfwhisker had been left at home with Graymist, still not contented on showing her face to the other Clans just yet.

In the camp, the new warriors continued sitting their vigil while also sitting vigil for Mossyfoot at the same time. I padded up next to Florashade, who stared up into the stars, and nuzzled her. She turned her flashing eyes on me and purred, leaning into me.

“I know I’m not supposed to be sitting a warrior’s vigil with her, but I’d like to sit vigil for Mossyfoot,” I mewed. “That’s what I would say if anyone yelled at me for being with you right now.”

Chapter 14Florashade

The sky in the east was turning pink and gray at dawn. The last stars of Silverpelt began disappearing, and I could swear that I saw Mossyfoot’s spirit leave her body as the last star twinkled away. In my mind, I said good-bye to the young warrior and thanked her for fighting for her Clan. At that same instant, the elders and Halfwhisker appeared from their den and carried the dead brown-and-white warrior to the burial ground. Many warriors watched silently from their den, their good-byes whispering after Mossyfoot’s body.

Swiftshadow slept silently at my paws. He had kept vigil for the dead warrior the whole night and by moonset he had slipped into a deep sleep. He deserved this sleep; he had fought in the battle, gone to the Gathering, and then came back to sit vigil. I had a feeling he never even eaten since sunhigh.

The other three new warriors had kept their vigil with me by Mossyfoot’s body. Cherryflight stared tiredly at her paws, but her ears were pricked high. She had been keeping her silent vigil ever since the battle started. Brownflare and Brookstream slept quietly as they sat, wounds running along their pelts. They had fought as brave as the other warriors of our Clan, and I knew Mistystar, and even Reedwhisker were proud of them.

I had no clue what was in store for me after I yelled at Reedwhisker the other night. No punishment had been mentioned, but I was sure that Reedwhisker would talk to Mistystar about it; he would do anything to get me in trouble, just to humiliate me in front of my Clanmates, and just after I became a warrior of Riverclan.

The sun was starting to brighten the sky even more as it floated up higher into the clear, blue sky. Warriors for the dawn patrol had left while I had been watching Mossyfoot leave the Clan, and now more warriors were beginning to stir for hunting patrols and to train their apprentices. Mistystar appeared from her den as well, looking old and weak. I had heard that she had lost a couple lives during the battle; her whitecough had slowed her down in the battle and made her an easy target until her warriors came to protect their leader.

Her voice was raspy and tired when she spoke to the four of us warriors that had to sit our vigil. “You may all go to the warriors’ den and sleep for as long as you

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like. You all did great yesterday and deserve the rest,” she added with an uneven purr.

“Thank you, Mistystar,” Cherryflight yawned. She walked away with Brownflare and Brookstream following sleepily behind. I got to my own paws, about to wake Swiftshadow so we could go rest.

“Wait, Florashade.” Mistystar halted me with her voice. “Is there an explanation to why Swiftshadow is out here with you?”

“He wanted t sit vigil for Mossyfoot,” I explained carefully. Mistystar nodded, but she didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.

“Reedwhisker came to me last night after the Gathering and told me that I should punish you for the argument you both had.”

“Maybe I should be punished,” I admitted, though to me that wouldn’t be fair when I did nothing wrong.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she replied, her eyes soft. “I understand your reason, and I do believe our deputy has been unfair towards you for quite some time, is that correct?”

I snapped my head up so that my surprised eyes met hers. “Ever since I became an apprentice,” I told her. “I don’t know why, but he seems to hate me.”

Mistystar dipped her head. “It’s actually been since the Shadowclan battle,” she corrected me. “He sees too much power in you and wants you gone, but as long as I still have life flowing though my blood, he will do no such thing. Maybe in time he’ll just see you as the great warrior you’ve become.”

“Thanks, Mistystar,” I purred, yawning. “Go get your rest,” she chuckled. “And wake Swiftshadow as well. You both

can rest for as long as you like with the others.”I didn’t wake again until sunset, my eyes still sleepy but my strength

restored. I padded from the den, the sunset patrol just leaving with Reedwhisker leading it away. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since the day before. Trotting over to the fresh-kill pile, I found that my sister was racing towards me.

“Hi, Florashade,” she panted, skidding to a halt in front of me.“Hey,” I greeted, “where are you off to in a hurry?”“Spottedpaw is going to the Moonpool with me tonight,” Willowshine

answered for my sister. “It’ll be her second visit.”“But it’s not half-moon yet,” I pointed out.“The other healers spoke to Spottedpaw saying they wished for us to gather

tonight at the Moonpool,” the gray tabby mewed nervously. “We all are hoping that Starclan can help us by sharing tongues with them.”

“Let’s hope they tell you something that’ll help all the Clan,” my father mewed from outside the elders’ den. “The Clans can’t go on without a little hope.”

I rolled my eyes and ignored my father. Willowshine shook her head as she lead Spottedpaw away and towards the entrance leading to the Windclan border. “May Starclan be with you both,” I called after them.

As soon as my sister’s tail disappeared, I made my way back to finding something to eat. There was very little left on the pile, suggesting that the rest of the Clan must’ve eaten already. I took my pickings of a mouse and small shrew and carried the fresh-kill back to the warriors’ den where I lay down and bit into my meal. I chomped away, my nose picking up the scent of food and making my stomach rumble in hunger. I didn’t take my time in eating my meals, and in a matter of seconds, both the mouse and shrew were gone.

I sighed and purred with content as I sat there with a full stomach. I let out a small burp before sitting back and washing my chest. I continued to rasp my tongue down to my stomach, where the taste of blood caught me off guard. I searched for a wound, but there was nothing and so I just figured that it was blood from the ground when Jet had pinned me on my stomach. Instead of washing the dried blood from my fur with my tongue, I made my way to lake, where I would be able to clean all the scents of battle from my spotted fur.

The sky was turning dark as I waded into the cooling lake water. My sore bones and cramped muscles relaxed and made me sigh with happiness. I continued going farther into the lake until the water was halfway up my sides. I took a paw and rubbed it along my blood stained belly fur, washing away the smell and color. Finally, I decided to just wash away everything and flopped down into the water,

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diving down a little ways and then kicking back up to the surface, feeling clean and refreshed.

Silver movement caught my eye. It was a small trout swimming past my now still form. With my eyes following the fish, I flashed out a paw with lightning speed and scooped the fish into the air. I didn’t throw it far back enough towards land so the fish was beginning to spiral back towards the water. Not wanting to lose a good meal for the Clan, I jumped far into the air, water splashing down from my fur, and bit into the succulent fish. I landed back into the water with a slight splash, sending small waves across the lake.

“Never in my whole life have I seen that technique before.” I whipped around, the fish tail slapping me in the face. It was just Fernpool, the mother of Halfwhisker and her brothers. “You’ve got some real talent, Florashade,” she added, wading into the lake to enjoy the cool water. “Ever since you became an apprentice you’ve beaten Shadowclan’s leader and deputy, saved Windclan and Riverclan from a nasty battle, and then fought like Starclan in the battle yesterday. Now here I am witnessing you leaping into the air to catch a fish. Who, in the name of Starclan, is training you?”

I shucked the fish from my mouth and threw it on the shore. “Nobody that I know of,” I replied truthfully.

“So you are telling me that all of that you have done was just skill and careful thinking?”

“I’m sure any cat could do what I’ve done,” I mewed quietly. “I’m no more special than my mother was, or my sister.”

Fernpool chuckled. “From what Willowshine has been telling me, there is something very special about you and your sister. You know she’s receiving her full healer name tonight.”

“That’s great,” I purred. “Did she know?” The gray she-cat shook her head with a smile. “Willowshine wanted it to be a

surprise for her,” she replied. “She told me that her name was going to be Spottedfern. Your sister is very talented with herbs and even has a knack at fighting.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I mewed with a delighted curl of my tail. “I can’t wait to see her happy glow when she gets home in the morning.”

There was definitely a glow around Spottedpaw. I emerged from my den as soon as my sister entered the camp beside her tired mentor. Spottedpaw turned her head towards me and raced at me, barreling me over with happiness.

“She made me a full healer!” she squealed uncontrollably. “She gave me the name Spottedfern!”

“I’m so happy for you, Spottedfern,” I purred, licking her cheek as she held me down on my back. “Now, can you let me up, you crazy furball?”

My sister slipped off me and helped me back to my paws. “I got to formally meet Starclan,” she mewed quietly. “It was the best thing ever. I wish I could tell you what happened, but Willowshine says that anything shared with Starclan that is only to be heard by healers is meant to be kept secret.”

“Yeah, the old traditional rule,” I reminded her. A leaf crackled behind Spottedfern and I. “Florashade, do you want to go

hunting with Reedwhisker, Mudreed, and I?” It was Swiftshadow, his wounds recently covered in poultice; I figured he just came from Willowshine.

I nodded and padded up to him. “Did you hear? Spottedpaw-”“Is a full healer now,” he finished with a chuckle. Turning to Spottedfern, he

added, “Congratulations, Spottedfern. You will make a great healer for this Clan.”“Thanks,” my sister purred, “well I better go and let you love kitties go

hunting.” Before I had the chance to argue her parting words, Spottedfern dashed away, her tail flicking with playfulness.

I shook my head and padded after Swiftshadow as he made his way for the entrance heading to the trees and Shadowclan border, where Reedwhisker and Mudreed sat in wait, talking. “Where has Mistystar been?” I asked Swiftshadow. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday at dawn, and I’m worried that she’s hurt really bad.”

“Her bout of whitecough has gotten worse since the battle,” he answered sadly. “She’s very weak right now, and Willowshine isn’t sure how much longer it’ll be before she loses another life.”

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“Isn’t Willowshine giving her the catmint she needs?” Swiftshadow lowered his head and sighed. “With this dry weather lately,

there isn’t much catmint growing. Even with the small supply Shadowclan gave us after the battle, it still isn’t enough.”

“I hope something will help her soon,” I whispered as we approached the rest of our patrol. To Reedwhisker and Mudreed I mewed, “Well, I’m up and ready for hunting, how about you guys?”

“We can’t go until there are more members,” Reedwhisker rumbled with a twitch of his whiskers. “Mistystar ordered that there would be six cats to a patrol, not four.”

“I doubt the rouges are going to attack us just after their defeat,” Swiftshadow pointed out. “I’m sure they won’t be bothering us for awhile.”

“If you can remember correctly,” Reedwhisker hissed, “the rouges retreated to avoid any more damage so they can attack us with surprise. Just to show you I’m right, we’ll go out with only these warriors, but if you are wrong, you’ll be cleaning the elders’ den for a long time.”

We left the camp with a bad start with the argument between Reedwhisker and Swiftshadow. Even though Swiftshadow and I brought up the rear, I could feel the heat rising between the toms growing stronger, or maybe that was the heat of the sun rising higher into the sky. Whichever, I had a feeling something was tearing our Clanmates farther apart.

Reedwhisker lead us into the shade of the trees where prey scuttled everywhere. It was a warm day for hunting and the prey was up and about searching for food and nest making objects from the forest floor. Birds sang from the safety of the trees and squirrels chattered from the high branches of oaks as they started storing their nuts for leaf-bare. Even though the trees were crawling with prey that could feed the Clan, Reedwhisker kept the patrol going, and made no sign of stopping. He gave no twitch of his tail to order us to break up and hunt, and even though a squirrel fled from almost right under his paws, the black deputy never gave chase.

“Aren’t we supposed to be hunting?” I asked, trying to make sure this was a hunting patrol and not a border patrol. “Because if we are, why aren’t we doing it?”

Reedwhisker stopped abruptly, his tail lashing from side to side. “Are you going against my orders, Florashade?” he growled, turning around and stalking towards me. “You definitely been doing a lot of arguing with me lately, haven’t you? What are you planning to do, challenge me for deputy?”

“No,” I snapped, taken aback by his thinking. “I was just asking a simple question to why we aren’t hunting.”

“Whatever, just do as I say and stop talking,” he hissed.“But the Clan needs food, not Clanmates walking around,” I argued farther.Reedwhisker rounded on me, snapping his jaws shut close to my ear. “Stop

your complaining and do as I say!”I stood there, rigid and still as a rock as Reedwhisker stalked back to the front

of the patrol where he continued leading us farther from the camp. Swiftshadow paused to wait for me as I regained control of my shocked muscles.

“Are you okay, Florashade?” he asked worriedly. “I thought he was going to snap your whiskers off.”

“More like my ear,” I said shakily. “He must be just having a bad day,” he observed, watching me with his gold

eyes. “Wonder if one of the apprentices accidently got mouse-bile in his nest.”I shook my head, not laughing along with my Clanmate. “Swiftshadow, he’s

treated me like this since I became an apprentice,” I told him, looking away. “Whatever I did for him to hate me, only he knows. Why don’t you just go on with them; I need to take a break. I’ll catch up in a bit, okay?”

“Sure, but be careful,” he replied, before bounding away.I watched as my mate disappeared over the rise, following the rest of the

patrol. Pawsteps in the trees beside me had been capturing my attention the whole time, and I was determined to find out who it was that had been spying on us the whole time. I lifted my nose towards the sound of the steps, catching a strange, yet familiar scent of cat.

I leaped over the bushes where the last sound I heard had been coming from. I landed on nothing more than leaves and twigs on the forest ground, but the smell of cat was strong here. The scent went farther into the forest, where there were

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large prints in the soggy dirt. Uncovered prey was left lying on the ground, untouched by hungry animals. I touched a mouse, finding that it was still warm, meaning that the cat I was following was killing for fun or just never thought of covering his prey so that when he returned that nobody else had taken it.

The scent trail continued to go farther into the woods. The trees were thickening and causing the woods to become dark and silent. Many of the trees here were dead and burned from possibly fires from Twolegs or lightning strikes, leaving no sources of food for small prey. The few bushes in the woods were mainly brambles and thorn bushes, making it a great place for kits to be harmed, or any warrior for a fact.

I stopped in the middle of a clearing, the presence of danger freezing me. I pricked my ears for any sounds, and the lifted my nose into the air to search for unfamiliar scents. Putting my nose to the ground, I found that the scent trail was gone, yet the scent was still lingering in the air.

A yowl split the air, making me snap my head up. Above me, a shadow of a huge cat fell upon me, flying down from the trees overhead. Gulping, I crouched and readied myself to spring away, but I was too slow as the cat fell on me, pinning me roughly to the ground. I struggled underneath the brawly cat, until its paws struck me in the head with great force.

My senses came and went as my attacker carried me deeper into the forest. I hadn’t quite figured out why my attacker hadn’t just killed me, at least not until I found myself in a difficult predicament to get out of: getting away from a camp full of hungry looking Pureclan cats. I shook from head to tail tip as I woke to full consciousness in the middle of the Pureclan camp, alone and defenseless among the ruthless cats of killers.

Chapter 15Swiftshadow

I caught up with the patrol as soon as I left Florashade alone to clear her troubled mind. Reedwhisker had let the group separate and hunt around the Shadowclan border and the lake shore. Mudreed was fishing from the lake, a small pile of minnows already lying beside him. Reedwhisker was busy stalking down a mouse in the ferns.

The black deputy pounced and captured his kill. A growl formed in my throat as the deputy trotted from the bushes with his catch in his jaws, his head held up high. Reedwhisker dropped his kill in a small hole he had already dug, and then

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buried his fresh-kill under a small mound of dirt. He looked up into my eyes, a twinkle telling me that he noticed Florashade’s absence.

“Where’s the new warrior?” he snickered, sitting back on his haunches.“Why do you care?” I growled, towering over the deputy. “Why are you so

unfair and harsh towards her?”“Is every warrior going to turn on me now?” he muttered to himself. “For your

information, Swiftshadow, I have never treated her any differently than any other warrior. The way I treat her is because of the way she treats me.”

“You are the reason why she is the way she is,” I argued. “The Clan is in a hard time right now and all you do is put one of the Clan’s best warriors in a dark hole.”

“She isn’t one of the Clan’s best warriors,” Reedwhisker snapped. “I am; that’s why I’m deputy, soon to be leader.”

I backed away, shocked by the black tom’s words. “Ambition has clouded your mind, Reedwhisker,” I told him, shaking my head in disbelief. “I’m going to find Florashade before she gets hurt and then I am reporting to Mistystar right away.”

“You will do no such thing,” he yowled, leaping to his paws and pushing me to the ground. “The reason why I hate that cat is because ever since the Shadowclan battle, cats have been talking. They have been talking about the fact that if I screw up, Florashade would become the new deputy, and Mistystar would make sure of it. Willowshine has spoken to Mistystar a long time ago that the spotted cat has a destiny that will bring great danger. I will not let it happen to Riverclan.”

I relaxed under Reedwhisker’s paws and blinked in confusion. “There’s a prophecy about her, isn’t there?”

“The one with the shaded heart will rise as one with the Clans,” Reedwhisker recited, getting off of me and stepping back. “It also says that her destiny brings great, but dangerous, power to the Clans.”

“You’ve been trying to chase her away by making her feel unwanted,” I realized, rolling onto my side. In that instant I scrambled to my paws as I heard a short yowl from the trees. “Florashade, I’m coming!”

I sprinted and weaved through the woods at the side of Riverclan territory, the territory that harbored my Clan that I promised to protect, even at the cost of my life. Florashade had done the same, and I had a feeling that she was hurt somewhere doing her duty for her Clan.

I found the place where I had left my Clanmate. Her scent trailed into the woods and as I followed it deeper into the unfamiliar area, another scent crossed constantly over hers. Reedwhisker and Mudreed slowed to a halt beside me. Obviously, they knew her as a Clanmate, even though Reedwhisker had no good thoughts of Florashade, yet he was willing to help me find her.

Darkness was curling around us as we drove deeper into the woods. Her scent stopped in a middle of a clearing, picked up by three others, one from earlier while following the scent trail. That’s when I caught the familiar scent that had impacted my Clan twice: Pureclan.

“She doesn’t have a chance,” Mudreed sighed, recognizing the scent as well. “Whatever they want from her, they haven’t exactly harmed her once yet.”

“What do you mean by that?” I growled to the brown warrior. “These cats kill for their enjoyment, and now she’s been captured by them. What makes you think that she won’t be harmed? We need to save her before they kill her!”

Reedwhisker padded up to me, resting his tail over my shoulders. “I noticed the rouges’ actions as well, Swiftshadow,” he replied gently. “Florashade has something they want, and until she gives it to them, they will not kill her.”

“The leader had demanded that she had to join them,” I told Reedwhisker. Reedwhisker looked away, murmuring, “Well it seems the rouges got what

they wanted.”“It seems that she went willingly too,” Mudreed added. “There’s no sign of a

struggle anywhere along her trail.”I narrowed my eyes, confused. “Then what happened to the rest of the trail?”The trail had ended where the other scents had started. There were no signs

of a struggle, yet there’s no longer a trace of where she was going. Three other cats that Florashade seemed to have met up with would most likely would take me to her, but how did I know what would lie in wait at the end of the trail? Would I find Florashade dead, or worse, turned against me?

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I let loose a deep sigh, and turned to Reedwhisker, my heart torn in two. “There’s nothing else we can do until we know for certain she’s alive or dead,” I admitted. “Let’s go home.”

“What are we going to tell the Clan?” Mudreed brought up as we exited the trees and back on our territory. “Surely they’ll notice her absence.”

“We’ll keep it secret for a couple more days until we know she’s not returning,” Reedwhisker decided. “For now, we’ll just say that… I’ve got nothing.”

“Just tell them that she went inspecting in Twolegplace,” I suggested when they both turned to me for an idea. “Say she found something and needed to look at it.”

“We all know how she is with inspecting the Twolegs and their language,” Reedwhisker sneered.

“For your information, I have actually seen her listen to them and understand their ways,” I growled, sticking up for the missing warrior.

“Okay, no need to get defensive,” the black deputy hissed while he sniffed around the camp entrance for any signs of rouges. When all was clear the deputy disappeared into the entrance where a commotion instantly rose up in the camp.

I pushed past Mudreed and slid instantly into the shadows of the camp reeds. I snuck my way through the reeds that made the camp boundary while Reedwhisker explained where we had been from morning until almost sunset. When the Clan found out that she was in Twolegplace sneers and laughter of her becoming a kittypet roared throughout the camp. There was no sign of Mistystar to stop the commotion, and I wondered if she was even awake.

I found the healers’ den and slipped inside. Spottedfern was inside sorting through a few herbs, her paws shaky and unsure. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked worriedly.

She whipped around, throwing me to the ground. “Where is she really, Swiftshadow?”

I opened my mouth to tell her that she really was in Twolegplace, but Florashade was like my mate, and Spottedfern was her sister, and I couldn’t lie to her face. “She followed a scent into the woods that we steer clear of. She must’ve run into a few Pureclan warriors and they took her,” I explained.

“Then I pray that Starclan will keep her safe,” she whispered. “She’ll need all the help she can get; her destiny has begun.”

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Chapter 16Pureclan

High-ranker Jet- jet black tom with green eyes and big pawsCommander Scar- big, golden tom with yellow eyes and bushy neck like a lion’sFighters (Toms who fight for the Clan, and collect prisoners and recruiters)Flame- ginger tabby tom with green eyes and black tail tipBoulder- gray tom with brown paws and light blue eyesBackbreaker- black tom with white paws and amber eyesRain- gray-and-white tom with green eyes Night- black tom with blue eyes and brown tail tipSlash- white tom with gray paws and blue eyesStriker- black-and-white tom with green eyesBeamer- black-and-white tom with blue eyes and ripped blue collarBosco- ginger tom with white paw and hazel eyes; son of Rufus; mate of DivaBreezepelt- black tom with amber eyesRock- brown tom with one white paw and amber eyesLunar- blue-black tom with amber eyesRaven- black tom with green eyesSolar- ginger-and-golden tom with green eyesDune- brown-tan-golden-and-russet tom with gold eyesRufus- -russet-ginger tom with blue eyes and black claws; father of BoscoCliff-brown-and-gray tom with green eyesBoris- black-and-brown tom with green eyes and white tail tipHunter- ginger-and-gray tom with gold eyes

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Brick- russet-brown tom with amber eyesDash- gray tabby tom with blue eyesFang- old, gray tabby tom with half a tail and light blue eyesSarge- brown-and-cream tom with green eyes; Bruno’s brotherBruno- brown-and-cream tom with amber eyes; Sarge’s brotherFelix- brown-and-gray tom with green eyesRadar- black tom with white paws and green eyesScreech- black-and-white tom with dark blue eyesSkull- gray-and-white tom with black paws and gold eyesPhantom- gray-and-black tom with green eyes; very fluffyPatch- gray, darker patchy, tom with green eyesViper- golden-black-and-brown tom with green eyesSlick- cream tom with brown tail, ears, muzzle and paws and green eyesCobra- golden-and-black tom with blue eyesHill- light brown tom with white paws and green eyesGrit- black tom with brown paws, white tail tip and blue eyesBirch- ginger-brown tom with green eyes; Tangle’s brotherFritch- gray-and-white tom with gold-amber eyesBracken- brown tabby tom with gold eyesTangle- dark ginger-brown tom with brown eyes; Birch’s brotherAvalanche- gray-and-white tom with brown eyesDuke- black-and-white tom with blue eyes and brown tail tipScratch- gray tom with white muzzle and amber eyesSpace- big, black-and-white tom with silver eyesStripes- gray tabby tom with blue eyesTalon- light brown tom with white chest, tail tip and dark green eyesSpark- gray tom with emerald green eyesBone- gray-white-and-brown tom with amber eyesFlick- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes; has a flickiful tail tipScaler- golden-and-ginger tom with green eyesSwoop- blue-gray tom with white belly, paws and green eyesSlayer- golden-and-ginger tom with amber eyes; Blade’s fatherBlade- ginger-and-golden tom with gold-green eyes; Slayer’s sonGranite- dark gray-and-brown tom with white paws and gold eyesPlasma- ginger-gray-and-black tom with white paws and green eyes

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Thunder- golden-and-black tom with blue eyesRocket- blue-gray tom with silver eyes and pawsDamon- black tom with golden-and-ginger patches and amber eyesSlate- cream tom with ginger paws and blue eyesShadowhorse- muscular black tom with amber eyesPrince- black-gray-and-white tom with icy blue eyesIce- black she-cat with gray patches and icy blue eyes; Velvet and Prince’s kitOscar- black-and-ginger tom with blue eyesOliver- brown tabby tom with white paw and green eyesMeteor- brown-gray-and-black tom with green eyesBucky- yellow-and-ginger tom with silver green eyes and gray pawsCojo- golden-brown tom with black spots on back and dark blue eyesBully- brown-and-gray tom with blue eyes and white pawsCudo- black-and-brown tom with amber eye and white tail tipSerpent- black tom with silver streaks, golden tail tip and clear blue eyesShade- brown-and-black tom with gold-brown eyesWasp- golden, black tabby, tom with blue eyesPrey-hunters (she-cat’s that hunt and fight for the Clan)Comet- golden-and-white she-cat with flashing green eyes; sister of LunaPine- golden-and-brown she-cat with gold eyes Frosty- blue-white she-cat with blue eyes and black pawsLuna- golden-and-white she-cat with blue eyes; sister of Comet; mate of LunarGorse- golden, black spotted, she-cat with white paws and amber eyesDiva- ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Bosco’s mateBuffy- brown she-cat with amber eyes and black pawsVelvet- black she-cat with gray belly and green eyesMist- gray-and-white she-cat with two black paws and blue eyesLust- white she-cat with gray paws and muzzle and blue eyesPoison- white she-cat with pink-gold eyesSneaky- brown spotted, golden she-cat with gold-amber eyes; Gorse’s sisterTayna- gray she-cat with green eyesJasmine- brown-and-white she-cat with gold eyesBloom- black-and-white she-cat with pink eyesMoonlight- black she-cat with silver paws and muzzle and green eyes

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Whisper- gray-and-black she-cat with green eyesJinx- black she-cat with light blue eyes PrisonersFlorashade- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyes

FlorashadeMy eyes widened with fear as cats of scars and recent wounds surrounded

me. Their faces were those that I had fought in the last moon, and they all shared something in common at this moment: their hate for me and my Clan. I could see it in their eyes, the bloodlust to kill me; in the movement of their claws that they couldn’t wait to tear into me; in the smile of their snarls that they couldn’t wait to see me bleed and die.

“You’re awake.”I jumped to my paws and fear and defense, swiping out a paw and slamming

it into the cat behind me. I fell to the ground, ready to be attacked and killed, watching as Jet stumbled back to his paws, his eyes filled with surprise.

“You can pack quite a hit, warrior,” he sneered, padding up to me, his green eyes gazing into mine. “You came just in time. My warriors that brought you here were the ones waiting for your answer. What happened, Clan life becoming too harsh?”

“I was tracking your golden friend,” I hissed. “He was following me and the patrol I had been on. I hadn’t realized that I had stumbled into your territory,” I added innocently.

Jet had stopped listening to me about halfway through, and yelled out, “Fritch, fetch this young she-cat some food, and make sure it’s plump!” The black rouge leader turned to me once the cat he called out to left. “Now that you have finally come, you will be treated with great respect until your destiny has been fulfilled.”

“Okay I have had enough of this destiny mousedung,” I hissed, crouching, ready to attack this so-called Pureclan leader. “Already I have had a healer tell me about my destiny, now you have one about me as well, so what in the name of Starclan is going on?”

The big, bushy, golden tom stepped forward, facing his leader. “Should I tell the little warrior her destiny?” he snickered. “I’ll make sure she knows and does what she needs to do…”

Jet held up his tail for silence, just as any Clan leader would, “Only I know the full story behind her destiny, Scar,” the black tom growled. “But you are welcome to come along with us for a little walk after she has eaten. Bring Bosco and Beamer as well, if you will.” As Scar walked away, Jet added, “See to the she-cats that they do their hunting this evening when the Clans are asleep and the lake area is free of patrols.”

I stared after the golden tom Scar, awestruck by Jet’s words. I faced the black tom, growling, “So you are the ones causing the problems with the Clan prey. Do you realize that your hunting on our territories have caused major issues between the Clans?”

“Why should I care?” Jet snarled. “Your Clanmates and the other Clans are nothing but mixed breeds of kittypets, loners, and cats that think they have warrior blood. It is not them that are pure, but we, the cats of Pureclan, are. All of us were once born from rouges, all but the she-cats that we have do our hunting.”

“Why are the she-cats expected to do the hunting?” I hissed, digging my claws into the soggy ground. “We are no different than the toms. We are the ones that raise your kits and go through the hardest life as we watch them die in battles.”

“I didn’t know you had kits,” Jet muttered curiously. “I don’t, but my mother and my foster mother did,” I sighed. Just thinking

about my mother made me wonder what she thought of the place I was being kept.

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Jet stayed silent for a long moment, actually acknowledging my sadness that filled my form. The only movement I made was a leap of fear when a gray-and-white tom dropped a fat vole at my paws. The tom turned to leave, but I stopped him with a tap of my paw.

“Thank you, Fritch,” I purred, knowing that it was the cat Jet had sent out to get me food.

The tom dipped his head, backing away with only one glance at his watching leader. Fritch fled from us, his tail dragging over the ground as he made his way to a small group of nicer looking toms.

I ate the vole in front of Jet as he gave orders for patrols to search the territory for any possible search parties looking for me. I could imagine Swiftshadow finding that I disappeared when I told him I’d be careful. Thinking of my mate made me sniffle with sadness, which in turn caused me to think of my Clan, my denmates, my friends, my father, my sister… the list just kept going, and I hadn’t the clue whether I would ever see them again.

“What’s the matter with you?” Jet growled quietly, scrapping the remains of my meal into a small hole and then covered it up.

“I hadn’t exactly meant to leave my Clan,” I replied with a hiccup. “I wish to go back home.”

“I can’t let you do that,” he mewed, looking away guilty. “You know our location and that would be too risky letting you go now.”

Anger filled my blood, flowed through my veins and just set me off like a ticking bang-stick. “Then why don’t you just kill me then?” I yelled at Jet, approaching him closely and making him step back in fear. “Why not kill me and end my suffering? I can tell that it hurts you and that you wish to send me home, but you told me you couldn’t. Just kill me already!”

I fell to the ground in episodes of sobs. Jet crouched down beside me, shushing me as if he was trying to calm me down. I lifted my head and looked into his deep green eyes, searching for the answers I so desperately seeked.

“I can’t kill you because my Clan needs you,” he replied softly, nuzzling me to my paws.

“Only because of my destiny,” I spat, pulling away from the rouge.“Come with me, and you’ll understand everything.” Jet padded away,

meeting up with Scar, and a black-and-white tom and a ginger tom with a white paw. I hesitantly followed the toms, Scar and the ginger cat bringing up the rear.

Outside the camp was much different than the camps back home around the lake. The walls of the camp were covered in moss and brambles while multiple surrounding trees hid it from view of searching cats. Dips of muddy water dotted the area leading to the camp, but as we went farther around the camp, the puddles disappeared and were replaced with patches of thorn bushes.

“This place seems very easy to defend,” I mewed sarcastically.“Actually, it’s easier than it looks,” the black-and-white tom yawned. “My

name is Beamer by the way.”“Florashade,” I mewed in return.“And that’s Bosco,” he added with a flick of his tail towards the ginger tom.

“He has the most dangerous mate in the Clan. Nobody messes with Diva.”“Who’s she?”“Ginger-and-white she-cat with a bad attitude and sharp claws,” Jet answered

before Beamer. “Now be quiet the both of you.”In a clearing not far from camp was where Jet had us stop. He had the other

three sit around the clearing as guards; clearly they were expecting trouble at anytime. “Unlike you, we do not believe in Starclan,” Jet started, spitting out Starclan’s name with disgust. I snarled and narrowed my eyes in hate. “Sorry, but it is our belief that they should all die, considering they practically destroyed Pureclan’s ancestors.”

“Who are they?” I asked, determined to get my answers.“The Dark Forest,” he mewed, sitting up tall. “That is where my father went,

along with those I had traveled with. They visit me in my darkest of dreams, training me, watching me. Then, about four moons ago they told me of a spotted cat. They said that I had to wait for the shaded flower to come to us and bring us great power, power from the time of the ancient Clans.”

“And how do I fit in that prophecy you got there?” I snorted, flicking a wad of moss out from between my claws.

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“Your name is Florashade, is it not?” Jet reminded me. “In the prophecy it speaks of a shaded flower; flora is short for flower.”

“Great Starclan,” I whispered with realization that the Pureclan leader was right. “What if I don’t want to fulfill my destiny?”

“We might just have to rethink about killing you then,” Scar snickered from the edge of the clearing.

“We cannot force this cat to do anything,” Jet snapped at his companion. “It’ll take time for her destiny to truly unravel, and when it does, I’ll know.”

“Are you saying I can never go home?” I cried, looking from tom to tom, my eyes settling on Jet pleadingly. “I never even got to say good-bye.”

“Again, it’s too risky to let you go,” Jet answered. “You’ll find that your Clan life will never compare to the life you’ll live here.”

“Yeah, so don’t think of escapin’,” Bosco warned, falling into a crouch. “There are guards everywhere in the camp, inside and out, day and night.”

“You better get used to this life quick, honey,” Scar snickered, scratching behind his ear with a hind paw.

What did he just call me? I growled in my mind. I turned around, anger filling me up once more. Scar had no clue what was coming as he scratched with his eyes closed in delight. With a growl in my throat, I trotted quietly up to the tom. Bosco called out a warning, but it was too late as I swiped a paw across Scar’s face with unsheathed claws. The large tom fell to the ground, covering his face protectively with his huge paws.

“Don’t ever call me ‘honey’ again, got it?” I snarled with bared teeth.“Yes….” He whimpered, pushing away from me in a shaded spot in the

clearing while the others stood by and watched with fear and or surprise.“I’ve heard what I needed to,” I hissed to Jet. “Now take me back to camp.”I felt great to be practically in control of these cats that thought they could

order me around. Just one swipe of a paw in a surprise attack and I could have them on the ground under my control, and the witnesses would cater my every will and want, except to release me of course. I actually felt like I could do something useful here, such as put them in their place to leave the Clans alone.

For the night, Jet had Beamer find me a nest with the other she-cats. It was Beamer that had been the first cat to treat me nicely, never once growling at me. I soon found out why he was the way he was though: he was treated unfairly just like the she-cats and very rarely was welcomed on any patrols because of his clumsiness.

Beamer gathered some moss from around the camp walls and placed it on the ground under the overhang of a tree. This was the den for the weak, the hunters, the ones that put themselves out in battle first. He then found some feathers to place in my thick, warm nest, feathers that he himself plucked from a morning dove on the prey pile.

I slept at the middle of the den where other cats would sleep around me. I was alone for the moment; the other cats were out hunting still. Thinking about them going to the lake, I became worried that my sister and Swiftshadow might be out looking for me while these rouges roamed around Riverclan territory. Did they even know if I was worth looking for?

I rested my head on my paws, stifling a sniff. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and hopefully rain would be on the way to rid the lake of the dry days. The last thing the Clans needed was problems of drought, espically with the threat of the rouges weighing high over their heads. The nests before me crackled as a black spotted golden she-cat entered the den. She placed a pile of feathers at the edge of my nest, backing away with a respectful dip of her head. “Jet sent me to give you more feathers,” she mewed.

“Thanks, but I have no need for them,” I purred, pushing the feathers away from me. “You should take them for yourself.”

“Oh no, I can’t do that,” she whimpered with a shake of her skinny head. “Jet would have my tail if I disobeyed his orders.”

“Well if he finds out he can answer to me,” I growled determinedly. “Take them, I assure you that you’ll be fine.”

The golden she-cat tentatively took the feathers in her jaw and began walking quickly away, only to stop and purr over her shoulder, “You are very kind. My name is Gorse by the way.”

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“I’m Florashade of Riverclan,” I replied.Gorse turned back around and headed a little ways to a nest farther back

under the overhanging tree. She threw the feathers into her nest and then curled up in a ball with a sigh of happiness. I no longer felt like a stranger here. So far I had found two cats that were like me: outcasts searching for a place to stay, no matter what we had to put up with.

In the morning, the forest grew no lighter. The only way of telling the time from this camp was looking through the holes in the canopy of the tree tops, bits of blue sky and white clouds being the only things visible. I know my stomach would help me figure when it was sunhigh and evening, and obviously morning since it was rumbling with hunger.

Gorse stirred in her nest, stretching out over the other nests that were still cold and empty. “Are the hunters usually gone this long?” I asked the golden she-cat, moving to a nest next to Gorse.

“Jet has them hunting from evening to sunrise,” she explained. “It takes until dark t reach the territories, and then they go around the lake hunting. They usually get back to the woods by dawn, just before the dawn patrols go out.”

“Has Pureclan cats been spying on our every move since you lived here?” I gasped, realizing that had to be the only way they knew of the time of our patrols.

Gorse nodded her head and looked me in the eyes. “The first two moons of staying here were spent on learning your hunting techniques in every territory, and when patrols are sent out. It’s how we stay hidden from the Clans and stay alive. Survival of the fittest is what Jet told us.”

“Back in the Clans, we help each other when it’s needed,” I replied, looking up into the sky. “Starclan decrees that no Clan is to be left behind.”

“Then why don’t the four Clans come together?” she asked, blowing away a feather that had stuck to her paw. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I know a lot about the Clans that others here don’t. I was born a Clan cat after all.”

I started with surprise. “Which Clan and why are you here?”“Windclan, but it was before you were born,” she answered a little fearfully. “I

was just a kit recently weaned from my mother when the rouges attacked the camp. Whitetail, I believe was my mother’s name, blocked the way into the nursery, but she easily batted away and the rouges snatched me from the nursery. Three others, Lust, Mist, and Poison, all sisters, were taken as well. Jet then called a retreat and took off with his gang of rouges.”

“I didn’t even know that Pureclan existed back then,” I whispered.“It wasn’t Pureclan yet,” she corrected me. “Just a band of rouges searching

for recruits to build a Pureclan. Before the Clans left the forest, the rouges attacked the other Clans, taking Backbreaker, Beamer, Scar, and Bosco from Shadowclan, and a few others from Thunderclan and Riverclan I’m sure. Some cats even willingly left to join, such as Bosco’s father Rufus.”

“What about the cats that are forced to hunt for the jerks in this Clan?”“Most of them are loners that had been seeking protection, and then there

are many that were once Clan born,” she answered.“How badly do you think these cats want to leave?” I pressed, inching

forward so that any passers wouldn’t hear our conversation. “All of my denmates,” she replied, “but where are you getting with this?”“I have a plan to get all of us out of here and back home,” I explained, mind

fuzzy with ideas. “But I’m sure the Clans have forgotten about us,” Gorse sniffed, looking

away. “I have the feeling our own mothers forgot about us, if they aren’t dead already.”

“Whitetail is alive and well,” I announced to the golden she-cat. Her eyes lit up with happiness and the thought of seeing her mother again. “Who are Beamer’s, Lust’s, Mist’s, and Poison’s parents?”

“The three she-cats were the kits of… I think a queen by the name Snowheart,” she mused with a flick of her tail. “Beamer, I believe was kit of Blackstar and Dawncloud, but I’m unsure.”

“That’s okay,” I purred. “I was just being curious about their origins.”Gorse smiled for the first time since I met her, and I knew she was beginning

to trust me. “So what was this plan that you have in store?”

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I leaned in close to her ear. “I was thinking that if we got enough cats on our side, and if I could get my Clanmates’ help too, we all could fight the rest of Pureclan, free ourselves and get rid of them.”

“Sounds good, but only the fighters know how to fight really good,” Gorse confessed, lowering her head in shame. “Jet says that the hunters need only to hunt unless more cats are needed to scare away enemies.”

I scuffed the ground with a paw. My plan just tumbled into turmoil, until the word “trust” popped into my mind. “I will get Jet to completely trust me by becoming a true Pureclan cat,” I went on. “Then I suggest attacking Riverclan, and ask for permission to train the Pureclan cats how to fight like my Clan.”

“Aren’t you from Riverclan?” I nodded, and since I knew where she was going with this, I answered before

she could ask, “I’m from Riverclan and know moves that your leader has never seen. He’ll know that my moves could be useful to him. Also by suggesting attacking my Clan, it is showing that I am a true Pureclan cat by wanting to take my anger out on my stupid Clan.”

Gorse lay there, looking unsure. “You’re even starting to sound like Jet,” she whispered.

“Mousedung, I hope that doesn’t stick,” I cursed.The black spotted she-cat chuckled a little, and prodded me playfully with a

paw. “I think Jet might trust you more than you think he does already,” she purred. “From the way he looks at you and treats you, I have a bad feeling he might like you even.”

I narrowed my eyes, thinking about the times I had been around him. My first meeting with this cat was when he and his patrol had attacked, Swiftshadow, Halfwhisker, and I. He hadn’t seemed very caring back then, espically after ravaging Halfwhisker’s face. The worst he had done to me had been practically suffocating me to death. Then there was the second time I met Jet, in the battle back in Shadowclan’s camp. He hadn’t harmed me in any way, and none of his cats had laid a claw on me. Either I had been too quick in avoiding their attacks, or Jet knew that I was the one he was searching for and told them not to harm me. He had been gentle with me when he had tussled me to the ground to give me my choice to join him. And what about that twinkle I had seen in his eyes back then? Why did it seem so similar to the twinkle in Swiftshadow’s golden eyes?

“I think you’re right, Gorse,” I whined, covering my face with my paws. “Even though I hate saying this,” she sighed gritting her teeth, “but I suggest

that you get really close to him.”“Like mate and mate?” I hissed, flicking my tongue out in disgust.“It may be the only way.”I shook my head and sat up, looking up into the patches of graying sky that I

could see. “I have a mate already, waiting for me back in Riverclan,” I told her. “It would break his heart if I did this.”

“He may never know,” she pointed out. “And if he does, then just tell him the truth, even if it hurts.”

At sunhigh, Gorse and I ate a small meal before she took off for a hunting patrol in the forest. The cats from the hunting patrol the night before had returned, sleeping in the den of the canopy tree. Gorse promised that when she returned that she would introduce me to the cats that would become part of my friends.

I left the remains of my prey under a dirt mound near the skimpy fresh-kill pile. I padded towards the cave den of Jet, sniffing the air around the entrance to check that he was inside. His scent was strong, but all was quiet. I called a greeting at the entrance anyway, a force of habit from back in Riverclan. It was a way to show respect towards a leader.

“Come in,” Jet yawned out. I gulped, swallowing my fear as I entered the dark den. I could just barely make Jet out in his mossy nest at the back of the den. “What is it, Florashade?”

I sat down in front of Jet, his green eyes flashing in the dark. “I was wondering if you could possibly go out of camp with me so I can stretch my legs and get some fresh air.”

Jet looked up from washing his ruffled fur. “You want to go out with me alone?” he echoed. “Are you planning to attack me or something?”

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I shook my head and stayed calm. “I promise you that I will not attack you or run away,” I vowed, saying my truthful words as I met his eyes. “I am actually really happy being here. I have no one to argue with about silly issues; that was the main problem with all the stress I had.”

The black tom rose with a long stretch, flexing out his paws to touch my toes. “Let me eat a little something, and then we can go,” he promised.

Back in the clearing, I noticed that it had grown slightly darker. When I looked up through the trees, gray clouds covered the sky. A light rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, indicating that rain was hopefully on its way.

Jet picked out a small mouse and quickly gobbled it down in a few bites. He swiped his tongue around his mouth as he covered his remains before padding back to me and curling around my body. Shivers of familiar happiness flowed through me bones, but I had to remember, this wasn’t Swiftshadow.

Jet walked away towards the entrance of the camp. I quickly trotted after the swift tom, bursting out into the shadowed forest. Shivers of weariness went down my spine as the thoughts of living in the dark forever raced through my mind.

“Will I ever be allowed out of the trees?” I asked hopefully. “I would really like to see the light once in awhile.”

Jet stopped and turned to face me. “I think you are breaking your promise and trying to find a way to run away,” he growled.

“I wasn’t even thinking about that,” I hissed, taken aback. “But if you are going to turn into the deputy of Riverclan, then forget it, I will leave. He was the reason why I left.”

“I’m sorry,” he mewed, “it’s just taking a little while to completely trust you.”I ignored him, my anger replacing the happiness that had lasted longer than I

could remember. At that very instant, Jet had reminded me exactly of Reedwhisker, and I wasn’t about to put up with some kind of clone of the deputy. If I wasn’t so dedicated to the warrior code, even here in Pureclan, I would probably have someone kill the Riverclan deputy, or do it myself.

Excitement buzzed through my blood as light began appearing through the trees. My anger and the argument forgotten, I squealed, “I’ll race you to the edge of the trees!”

I bounded away, leaving the Pureclan leader confused, and then he was chasing after me with worry clouding his eyes. Was there something beyond the trees that he saw was a danger? I halted just at the edge of the trees and waited for the black tom.

“Doesn’t your Clan teach you anything about not bursting into unknown territory?” he panted with an annoyed growl.

“I was just trying to get you to have some fun,” I confessed, lying down beside the bushes. “You know, your lack of fun reminds me of my father.”

“Is that bad?” he mewed, settling down in front of me.I shrugged, unsure myself. “Let’s just say he can have his moments where

he’s hard to be around,” I sighed, remembering the recent fights I had with him. I gazed past the branches of the bushes beside me and stared out into Riverclan territory. Nothing had changed since I had disappeared, but it had only been a couple of days.

Jet noticed my sadness, and narrowed his eyes. “Thought you said you were happy here in Pureclan,” he growled.

Keeping my eyes on the lapping waves of the distant lake, I mewed quietly, “I do like being in Pureclan, but I miss my family from Riverclan. Don’t you miss your family, or are they in Pureclan as well?” I asked, turning my sad gaze on Jet.

“I have no family any longer,” he spat, whipping his face away from my sight. His muscles relaxed suddenly as if something soft touch them. Jet brought his face back into my sight once again, mewing, “You know, you are the first cat to ask about my family. I didn’t think there was a cat in the world willing to listen.”

“I’m listening,” I replied, stretching out in front of him and resting my chin on my paws. “If it’s too much, you don’t have to answer.”

“No, I want to tell you about my past,” he objected. “Just as long as nobody else finds out; they may see me as soft.”

“I cross my heart and hope to die,” I promised with a slight giggle when his eyes widened in fear. “Figure of speech silly,” I added with a chuckle.

Jet shook his head with light laughter. “My life began in Twolegplace; the Twolegplace that was near the four Clans of the forest. I had two siblings, neither of

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them with my father’s fur; only I had gotten his looks. Unfortunately they got his attitude a little too early while I was soft-hearted like my mother, who had been a former kittypet, just as my father’s mother had been.

“I had been only eight moons old when my mother died and I was left to fend for myself,” Jet continued. “A bad illness had taken her life from me; your Clans call it greencough. My brothers and I, we had to deal with everything ourselves from there on. My father had no care for us; his Clan meant more to him, and the destruction of the Clans where his greatest enemy had lived.”

“Wait, are you talking about…?”“Yes, Florashade, my father was Scourge, the leader of Bloodclan,” Jet

sighed, his eyes filling with memories. “I looked up to him for a long time. He was strong, undefeatable, but there was no love and care for his kits. Power was the only thing that mattered to him at the time, which in the end killed him. I’m not ashamed of being born to Scourge, for his strength and courage runs through my blood, but there’s a part of me that hates him. He never saw me as his son, never acknowledge that I was there, wanting to be like him.

“But greed finally killed him, and my looks for my future changed.” Jet rested his chin on his paws, his eyes distant as he stared unblinkingly at me. “When Tigerstar had come to our forest, they made a bargain: if my father brought his Clan to the forest to scare the Clans into one, then Bloodclan would get a share of the forest. The possibility of a fight, gaining territory, and possibly killing his enemy were the only things he saw, and he agreed. He took every one of his cats to the forest, all but the kits he rather of seen die. My father feared the forest, but the only thing standing in the way of his fear was Tigerstar, and as every living cat’s tale today, Scourge killed Tigerstar with the dog claws of death.”

At first I never knew that Scourge had been scared of anything. “Why was your father scared of the forest?” I asked curiously.

“When was a small kit, he left his Twoleg home and went into the forest over Thunderclan’s border,” he started, his whiskers twitching with a slight chuckle. “There he met a Thunderclan patrol made up of Thistleclaw, Tigerstar, and Bluefur. He was seen as an intruder and Thistleclaw ordered his apprentice to attack my father. Tigerpaw would’ve killed him if Bluefur hadn’t stopped the blood thirsting apprentice. Scourge had been scared of Tigerstar until he had cats backing him up, and soon his power grew in strength, and when the time was right, Scourge did what he had to do.”

“So in Twolegplace, where Bloodclan was born, did your father force cats into his Clan?”

Jet hesitated and then mewed, “Yes and no. Some cats came for his protection, and when they wanted to leave they were either killed, or threatened enough to force them to stay. Many came into the Clan because they wanted to kill and make other, weaker cats suffer. It wasn’t an easy life there in Twolegplace. The only available food was thrown out Twoleg trash or a few rats, and many times you had to fight for your meal, unless you were Scourge. He had everything handed right to him; it was a sign of respect and that he was leader.”

I shook my head in disbelief. I never had known this part of Scourge’s life, and I wanted to know more. It wasn’t like I didn’t have time to listen. “I’ve heard that Scourge had very tiny when he ventured into Twolegplace,” I told him. “How did he earn the respect from the rouges in Twolegplace when he was just a small kit?”

“He found an old dog that left a tooth behind,” Jet replied, closing his eyes and remembering the tales that had been told to him. “He took that tooth and stuck it through his kittypet collar to try and rip it off him, but the tooth just poked a hole in the fabric and stuck there. When he had been looking for food afterwards, some cats saw the tooth in the collar and asked how he got it. Scourge lied of course and said he fought and killed a dog, taking the tooth as a prize.

“But then he was expected later to actually kill a real, nasty dog that was stealing food,” he continued. “He met the dog face to face, and then the dog went running in fear. My father’s shadow grew to a large size beside the dog, scaring the mutt away. The cats of Twolegplace saw him as very powerful, and soon he was being asked for help all the time. More cats joined beside his new leadership when a couple cats from the forest attacked another cat from Twolegplace. Scourge killed one of them, and that’s when Bloodclan was born: all the cats that wished to kill and

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follow under Scourge gathered together behind their leader, showing that they were one.”

I stretched to my paws and then sat back down to lick my paw and bring it over my face. “You know,” I mewed between licks, “I find it ironic that a huge, scary dog was scared of a small cat like your father back then.”

“Yeah, same here,” Scourge chuckled. “But after that, nobody made fun of his size until those forest cats came and laughed at his small appearance. When he said that he was leader in the Twolegplace, the forest cats wouldn’t believe it because he didn’t look at all threatening. Scourge showed them up when he had kill one of them.”

I nodded my head in understanding. “And I know how he was killed,” I let him know. “Too bad Scourge didn’t wait to take the forest until after the Clans left for the lake. So many cats wouldn’t have died.”

“Well, he had no guidance from ancestors,” Jet reminded me. “He had no belief in Starclan, and Firestar found that as his one weakness: without Starclan, Scourge wouldn’t have nine lives.”

“And that meant he only needed to be killed once,” I realized. Stretching once more, I yawned, “Do mind if we head back? I’m starting to get sleepy.”

“Not at all,” Jet agreed. Getting to his paws, he added, “I still need to give you your new name since you are staying.”

“What was it going to be?” I asked as we walked back down the trail that lead back to the camp.

“I was thinking of keeping it Flora,” he suggested. “Keep some of your old Clan name for you.” Jet swiped his tail lightly down my back to wipe some of the leaves off my pelt. “It fits your flowery pattered spots, and the colorful personality that you have.”

I ducked my head and my pelt heated up with embarrassment. “That’s flattering,” I blushed, “but I love it.” I lifted my head, leaned over and licked Jet’s shoulder just as I had when I had been made into a warrior. “Is it okay if we gather some moss for my nest; I need clean bedding already.”

“Sure, we can do that before heading back,” he agreed. “And if you want to, we can go to my den afterwards and talk about you over a meal at sunset.”

I purred with happiness. “That sounds wonderful, Jet, thank you.”

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Chapter 17Pureclan

High-ranker Jet- jet black tom with green eyes and big pawsCommander Scar- big, golden tom with yellow eyes and bushy neck like a lion’sFighters (Toms who fight for the Clan, and collect prisoners and recruiters)Flame- ginger tabby tom with green eyes and black tail tipBoulder- gray tom with brown paws and light blue eyesBackbreaker- black tom with white paws and amber eyesRain- gray-and-white tom with green eyes Night- black tom with blue eyes and brown tail tipSlash- white tom with gray paws and blue eyesStriker- black-and-white tom with green eyesBeamer- black-and-white tom with blue eyes and ripped blue collarBosco- ginger tom with white paw and hazel eyes; son of Rufus; mate of DivaBreezepelt- black tom with amber eyesRock- brown tom with one white paw and amber eyesLunar- blue-black tom with amber eyesRaven- black tom with green eyesSolar- ginger-and-golden tom with green eyesDune- brown-tan-golden-and-russet tom with gold eyesRufus- -russet-ginger tom with blue eyes and black claws; father of BoscoCliff-brown-and-gray tom with green eyesBoris- black-and-brown tom with green eyes and white tail tipHunter- ginger-and-gray tom with gold eyesBrick- russet-brown tom with amber eyesDash- gray tabby tom with blue eyesFang- old, gray tabby tom with half a tail and light blue eyesSarge- brown-and-cream tom with green eyes; Bruno’s brotherBruno- brown-and-cream tom with amber eyes; Sarge’s brotherFelix- brown-and-gray tom with green eyesRadar- black tom with white paws and green eyesScreech- black-and-white tom with dark blue eyes

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Skull- gray-and-white tom with black paws and gold eyesPhantom- gray-and-black tom with green eyes; very fluffyPatch- gray, darker patchy, tom with green eyesViper- golden-black-and-brown tom with green eyesSlick- cream tom with brown tail, ears, muzzle and paws and green eyesCobra- golden-and-black tom with blue eyesHill- light brown tom with white paws and green eyesGrit- black tom with brown paws, white tail tip and blue eyesBirch- ginger-brown tom with green eyes; Tangle’s brotherFritch- gray-and-white tom with gold-amber eyesBracken- brown tabby tom with gold eyesTangle- dark ginger-brown tom with brown eyes; Birch’s brotherAvalanche- gray-and-white tom with brown eyesDuke- black-and-white tom with blue eyes and brown tail tipScratch- gray tom with white muzzle and amber eyesSpace- big, black-and-white tom with silver eyesStripes- gray tabby tom with blue eyesTalon- light brown tom with white chest, tail tip and dark green eyesSpark- gray tom with emerald green eyesBone- gray-white-and-brown tom with amber eyesFlick- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes; has a flickiful tail tipScaler- golden-and-ginger tom with green eyesSwoop- blue-gray tom with white belly, paws and green eyesSlayer- golden-and-ginger tom with amber eyes; Blade’s fatherBlade- ginger-and-golden tom with gold-green eyes; Slayer’s sonGranite- dark gray-and-brown tom with white paws and gold eyesPlasma- ginger-gray-and-black tom with white paws and green eyesThunder- golden-and-black tom with blue eyesRocket- blue-gray tom with silver eyes and pawsDamon- black tom with golden-and-ginger patches and amber eyesSlate- cream tom with ginger paws and blue eyesShadowhorse- muscular black tom with amber eyesPrince- black-gray-and-white tom with icy blue eyesIce- black she-cat with gray patches and icy blue eyes; Velvet and Prince’s kitOscar- black-and-ginger tom with blue eyes

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Oliver- brown tabby tom with white paw and green eyesMeteor- brown-gray-and-black tom with green eyesBucky- yellow-and-ginger tom with silver green eyes and gray pawsCojo- golden-brown tom with black spots on back and dark blue eyesBully- brown-and-gray tom with blue eyes and white pawsCudo- black-and-brown tom with amber eye and white tail tipSerpent- black tom with silver streaks, golden tail tip and clear blue eyesShade- brown-and-black tom with gold-brown eyesWasp- golden, black tabby, tom with blue eyesFlora- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyesPrey-hunters (she-cat’s that hunt and fight for the Clan)Comet- golden-and-white she-cat with flashing green eyes; sister of LunaPine- golden-and-brown she-cat with gold eyes Frosty- blue-white she-cat with blue eyes and black pawsLuna- golden-and-white she-cat with blue eyes; sister of Comet; mate of LunarGorse- golden, black spotted, she-cat with white paws and amber eyesDiva- ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Bosco’s mateBuffy- brown she-cat with amber eyes and black pawsVelvet- black she-cat with gray belly and green eyesMist- gray-and-white she-cat with two black paws and blue eyesLust- white she-cat with gray paws and muzzle and blue eyesPoison- white she-cat with pink-gold eyesSneaky- brown spotted, golden she-cat with gold-amber eyes; Gorse’s sisterTayna- gray she-cat with green eyesJasmine- brown-and-white she-cat with gold eyesBloom- black-and-white she-cat with pink eyesMoonlight- black she-cat with silver paws and muzzle and green eyesWhisper- gray-and-black she-cat with green eyesJinx- black she-cat with light blue eyes

Jet helped me carry the gathered moss to my nest where he left me to form it the way I found comfortable. He took off to his den to take a nap, not offering any form of help. I had a feeling he just didn’t want the rest of the Clan seeing their powerful leader helping a stolen Clan cat like me that couldn’t be trusted yet.

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Gorse was in her nest surrounded by others, washing her face with a paw. She lifted her head as I entered the den, stepping over cats to reach my nest in the middle of all the others. “Glad you came back,” she purred, sitting up with her tail wrapped around her paws. “I wanted you to meet the others of our den.”

All the heads in the den lifted and gazed at me. A few gave me a nod of welcome, but a few seemed untrusting of me. It’ll just take time for all these cats to trust me, I told myself.

“Everyone, this is Florashade,” Gorse announced. “She’s a cat from Riverclan that is going to be living with us.”

All the cats in the den greeted me hello. A white she-cat crawled over to me from her nest next to mine. “My name is Frosty,” she mewed, her voice small and soft. “I’d wish to welcome you to Pureclan, but being here is the best things we could want.”

“Shhh… she might actually be one of them!” a black-gray-and-white tom hissed at Frosty.

“Ignore Prince, over there,” Gorse told me. “He never trusts newcomers, but the rest of us should be able to trust you. I told them of your plan earlier, and they all agree that we should do it.”

“Yes, it was very well thought out, Florashade,” a golden-and-black tom purred. “My name is Thunder by the way, and the black she-cat next to me with the gray patching is Ice.” The she-cat dipped her head in greeting before resting her head back on her paws and closing her eyes.

“Thank you,” I purred back. “I want to do everything I can to help you all out.”

“We are all grateful that you came,” Frosty said. “We thought we’d all be stuck here forever.”

Gorse rolled her eyes. “You are so over-dramatic though,” she hissed sarcastically. “A small fight with badger cub had you thinking it was three badgers.”

A black she-cat with gray belly fur prodded Gorse on the shoulder. “Don’t be mean to the young cat,” she retorted with a flick of her tail.

“Velvet, I’d stay out of it if I were you,” Thunder chuckled. “You know how the two of them can get.”

“They act just like Prince and Ice, so I think I’m used to it, thank you very much,” she huffed.

I rolled my eyes and listened to the cats chatter away while I worked on my nest. I met many more cats in a short time as my nest formed to the way I wanted it. Finding out that old three Windclan cats, Poison, Lust, and Mist, made me feel less of stranger. I met another stolen Shadowclan cat, going by the name Pine. She was a smaller cat, with more of a Windclan shaped body. Sure enough, I found out that her father was once Tornear of Windclan, and that her mother had been Darkflower of Shadowclan.

By the time I was done learning all the names of the cats and finishing my nest, the sky was turning blood red as the sun set down below the horizon. Dark gray clouds floated by, yet again leaving no rain in its path. The forest was becoming dark with the settling night, the only light coming from a few flashing light bugs. Grasshoppers chirped from inside the camp walls, hiding from any predators that come out at night. I was surrounded by cats I now called Clanmates, friends; all seemed peaceful, almost like home.

I left the overhanging tree and entered Jet’s den with a thrush in my mouth. I had kept my promise to eat with him so that he may become more familiar with my old life. Moss dangled over my shoulders, collected from the leftovers of my nest. I had offered the clump to Gorse but she told me to offer them to Jet, to get him to trust me. So far my plan was working; tonight he was introducing me to the Clan as a full member, but I was still to be watched carefully.

Jet was napping in his nest at the back of his den. He quiet snoring echoed through the den, telling me that he was in a deep sleep. I didn’t want to wake him, but then he would’ve thought that I dropped out on our plans for tonight. To not to startle him from his sleep, I dropped the thrush at the middle of the den, trotted over to the leader’s nest and licked him softly between the ears. The first time, his ears just twitched, and then he began purring with delight as I continued.

Jet blinked his eyes open and gave a big yawn as he looked over his shoulder at me. “You came,” he muttered happily.

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“I told you I would,” I murmured. “I keep my promises, just remember that.” I turned and walked back to where I had left the thrush. “I brought you something to eat, and I saved some moss that we had collected earlier,” I told him.

“Did you eat? Do you have enough moss for yourself?” he mewed, sitting up in his nest.

“Yes to both,” I replied, rolling the fresh-kill into the black tom’s nest. Turning my head, I reached over my shoulder to pull the moss from my shoulders. Setting the moss gently on the ground, so not to stir up any dust, I mewed, “This is the leftover moss from my nest. I thought you might’ve wanted to clean your nest as well, so I brought to you right away.”

“That’s sweet of you,” Jet purred between bites of his meal. “Thanks so much.”

I sat quietly while Jet tore at his meal, plucking out feathers for his nest as he went. He hiccupped at the end of his meal, swiping his tongue over any stray taste left over on his muzzle. He turned to me, his eyes bright and cheerful. “That was a great meal,” he rumbled with a purr. He settled himself down into his nest stray feathers from the thrush lying everywhere. “Now, can you tell me about yourself and what’s life like in Riverclan?”

“Where do I start?” I wondered out loud. “Well, I was born a couple seasons ago before a battle that we call the battle of the Dark Forest. My mother was once a fierce Clan leader named Leopardstar, and my father is Grasspelt, who is an elder right now. I have one sister who is training to be Clan healer after our current healer.

“What is life like in Riverclan?” I echoed the question. “It’s not much different than Pureclan. Back home, there are dens for elders, queens and kits, apprentices, warriors, healers and the herbs, and the leader. The Clans follow these rules, or limitations, that ancient leaders placed down to keep the future Clans from making the same mistakes as they had.”

“Your warrior code is strict, is it not?” he growled.“The only bad thing that can really happen is banishment from the Clan,” I

replied. “Many cats have broken the code enough to get that far into punishment, but usually it’s just taking care of the elders for so long, or hunting for long period of time, not being able to go to Gatherings….”

Jet snorted and crossed his paws in front of him. “Not very free, you Clan cats of the lake. Here in Pureclan, you are expected to follow only a few rules. One: Stay loyal to Pureclan. Two: Only three meals are allowed a day. Three: If there are kits in the Clan, queens are fed first. Four: If you cannot fend for yourself, then you are weak. These are the only rules that each Pureclan cat is to follow. Otherwise you can go out on your own, hunt and patrol when you want to; you can practically make your own rules unless I disagree with it.”

I looked about the cave as if I was thinking and taking account of the rules. “For as long as I am in Pureclan, I will abide to these rules, Jet,” I vowed, sitting up tall. “I honestly like it much better here. Back home, our deputy thought he could boss me around just because our leader was sick. Actually, he’s done it since I had become an apprentice, then he got worse when I got my warrior name.” It was an honest truth that I wouldn’t be too scared to tell Starclan. True, I missed my father, sister, Swiftshadow; okay I’ll rephrase that: I was homesick…. But it was peaceful here for me.

“I’d like to have you stay as long as you like,” Jet blushed, averting his eyes away with his ears folded back in embarrassment. Jet reached out a paw and touched mine. He lifted his head, his eyes gazing into mine, holding me in that leafy green stare. “I feel this might be kind of sudden, but there’s something about you I can’t resist, can’t stay away from. You walk in my dreams; your voice sings me to sleep. I guess what I’m trying to ask is… would you like to… be my… mate?” He shook his head before I could even open my mouth. “How stupid am I? I don’t even know if you like me and I’m…” Jet stopped and let out a growl, the burrowed his head under the moss that made his nest. I gave a slight evil smile, my goals of becoming mates with the leader of Pureclan showing success.

I got to my paws and padded up to the black cat’s nest. I rubbed my head against his shoulder and he lifted his head. “Jet, you are not stupid,” I murmured, licking his cheek. “And I do like you, and wish to go along with being your mate. There’s nothing wrong with us being together, and whether the Clan likes it or not, we will be together.”

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Jet’s body vibrated with a purr as I nuzzled close to him, leaning against his nest. “And here I was thinking that you were going to walk away disgusted,” he muttered quietly. “Do you want to continue sleeping with the loners of the Clan, or do you want to move your nest in here?”

“I think I’ll move it in here,” I decided. “Those cats may be my friends and Clanmates now, but I wish to be with you more.” I let out a yawn, and Jet moved away, scrunching farther back in his nest. I lost his support and tumbled into his low nest next him.

“Why don’t you take a short nap?” he suggested, his eyes twinkling with happiness.

“That sounds nice,” I whispered, cuddling close to the black tom. I was happy with doing this, but what my Clanmates would think would send me into banishment possibly, or I would just leave because they would all distrust me and hate me. Swiftshadow would be devastated if he saw me like this; Reedwhisker would kill me. So much I had done already had me breaking many laws of the warrior code, but I was still loyal to Riverclan by heart.

The crescent moon was high in the air when Jet woke me from my nap. He said we could move my nest in his den in the morning, but for now he wanted to call the Clan together for my naming ceremony.

“Cats of pure blood, and only of pure blood, meet under my authority this moment,” Jet called out, his voice echoing around the empty clearing. He stood upon his den, which was quite flat on top. This was the first time I really looked at the den; it was small, but I noticed that the very back of the den went underground, making it bigger than it looked. There were nicks and cracks all throughout the rock and small clumps of grass grew from the bigger of the cracks. It was a den fit for a Pureclan leader.

While the Clan gathered, Jet glanced down at me. “You should be up here as well.”

I nodded and leaped up to the top of the den. Jet moved over some so that there would be more room for my bigger built body. From here I could see the whole camp, look down upon every cat. This was another moment of feeling in control, feeling leader-like. Was this how every Clan leader felt when they first stepped up in front of their Clan?

The Pureclan cats noticed the closeness of Jet and I, and many began protesting. “Silence!” Jet ordered loudly, standing on his paws with his tail high in the air. “I have a couple announcements to make. First off, I wish to welcome Florashade into the Clan and give her a Pureclan honored name. She is from now on a trusted cat and will be allowed to do any type of patrol on her own.” Turning to me with that twinkle in his eyes, he mewed, “Florashade do you promise to give all you can to your new Clan, through thick and thin and not turn against them?”

“I will not let you or the Clan down,” I promised, lifting my chin in pride.“Then I give you your new name: Flora,” he announced. Jet placed a paw on

my shoulder and stood that way for a while, gazing deep into my eyes. “I formally welcome you to Pureclan, as one of us.”

Instantly the Clan broke into a series of yowls. I jumped slightly, not knowing what was happening until I saw that they were cheering for my new name and arrival into the Clan. I gave a crooked, unsure smile and leaned into Jet for protection from these cats.

Quiet fell upon the camp as Jet held his tail up high once again. “For seeing how great of a fighter Flora is from my own experiences,” he continued with a slight purr, “I would like her to give every one of us training with proper battle moves. Be ready by dawn like usual, but all of you must be ready, just in case she wishes to start early.”

My mind went racing, sending me into a daze that made me just stare off into knowwhere. I kept wondering if Jet’s battle plan was his, or somehow he had heard me discussing it with Gorse the other day. I was glad that my plan was falling into place, one step at a time, cleanly and left out of any arguments. The last thing I had to do to formally place the plan into motion was to talk to Riverclan about my plan to help the outcast-like cats. My sister would listen to me, and so would Swiftshadow, at least up to the point where I become Jet’s mate. I would be lucky if Reedwhisker didn’t throw me from the Clan before I could explain. I was going to have to think this through.

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“Like how it feels to be a leader?” Jet asked, snapping me back to reality. “It’s still something I never get over. Now that you are mate to a high-ranker, you are a high-ranker as well. The Clan may not like it, but as long as I’m still up here, they won’t say anything against it.”

“The Clan doesn’t really know about us, Jet,” I reminded him as I leaped down from the flat rock..

“They’ll find out soon, I’m sure,” he purred, leading me to my den. “Rumors will spread and then the truth will have to be told.” At the overhanging tree, he suggested, “The cats from your den are all out hunting and patrolling, so would you like to move your nest now?”

I wanted to say no so that I could at least explain to my denmates what was going on, why I was moving away from them, but I figured I could tell them on my own time. “Sure, it’ll save us from doing it tomorrow.” Together, Jet and I lifted my nest from the spot in the very middle of the den. We tripped and stumbled over the other nest, a couple of times flipping them. I told myself that I would help clean our mess up later.

It was harder than I thought, carrying a large nest full of bunched up moss across the camp. When we finally reached the entrance to his den, I sighed inside with relief. Jet backed into his den, darkness surrounding him instantly. Slowly, we were able to squeeze my nest through the narrow holed entrance without leaving too much moss behind. Inside the den, Jet backed all the way to the closest corner to his nest and set his end of the nest down. The weight left in my jaws caused me to release my end and send it smashing into the ground, sending dust into the air.

I trotted from the den coughing. Jet stumbled after me with a sneeze. “Sorry about that,” I mewed with an apologized smile. “It slipped from my mouth.”

Jet shrugged and gave a small jump. “Do you want to go hunting?” he asked.I leaned into the suddenly energized tom. “Of course I do, you stupid furball,”

I purred, licking his cheek with compassion. He rasped his tongue gently over my head, and wrapped a paw over my

shoulder. “Let’s get going then.”Outside the camp, the forest was damp with dew as the air around us cooled

down. I had this feeling that leaf-fall was not far away, which would bring the shortage of prey, and then sickness. We trotted along the trail that was beginning to collect leaves of bright colors, and when I looked up into the trees, I could see the sky slightly better than I could when I first arrived here.

Jet suddenly halted with a quiet hiss. “We are too close to the enemy territory,” he growled with a angry flick of his tail. “And there are warriors about. Let’s head back and hunt somewhere else.”

I rolled my eyes and suggested, “Or we could spy on them, and I can show you what my old furball Clan is like.” Before Jet could object, I trotted up to the bushes that separated Pureclan territory from Riverclan’s. I crawled a ways underneath so I could peek through the bushes and possible mask my scent. Jet was soon crawling underneath, and settling down beside me. I could tell he was slightly annoyed with my stubbornness, but he knew that he couldn’t just leave me here.

We had perfectly timed ourselves with getting at the border. Five cats on the midnight patrol appeared from the side view of the bush. Reedwhisker was in the lead, as usual. Sharkpaw, half the size of his mentor, trudged next to the deputy, his image exactly like his mentor. Cherryflight and Streammoon trailed quietly behind keeping their eyes on Swiftshadow that was falling farther and farther behind the rest of the patrol.

Reedwhisker stopped at the front of the group. “Swiftshadow, you need to catch up!” he shouted. When the tom never appeared, or no sound of his approached reached the deputy’s ears, Reedwhisker whisked around. He stomped past Cherryflight and Streammoon, leaving Sharkpaw to follow to the point of where the she-cats stood. From there, Reedwhisker gave a bound, landing beside Swiftshadow and giving him a hard push to the ground.

I tried to hold back a gasp and keep myself from helping Swiftshadow. Reedwhisker lowered his head to Swiftshadow’s level as my old denmate lay on the ground shocked. “You need to get over the disappearance of Florashade. You hear me?” Reedwhisker growled. “Sulking over her isn’t going to help the Clan.”

Jet tapped my shoulder with his tail. “Who are all these cats?” he asked, nodding towards the patrol.

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“The black tom yelling is the deputy,” I replied with a slight hiss. “He’s pretty much the reason why I’ll never go back to Riverclan. The cat he is yelling at was a good friend of mine. The two she-cats are warriors, and the scrawny, small tom is the deputy’s apprentice,” I finished, with a flick of my tail.

Jet and I fell silent as we continued t watch Reedwhisker and Swiftshadow. The brown tom suddenly had the deputy pinned underneath him, teeth pulled back in a snarl. “You don’t even care, do you?” Swiftshadow growled, eyes blazing with hate. “Never once did I hear you say one good thing about her, or even towards her. What makes you hate her so much?”

Reedwhisker looked slightly startled at Swiftshadow’s counter. “What can you even do about it?” Reedwhisker wheezed as Swiftshadow pressed down on the deputy’s throat with a paw. “My reasons behind my hate are mine to know alone,” he spat. “Don’t think I can’t punish you for what you are doing. Once Mistystar loses her last life from greencough, I’ll be leader and in control. I won’t forget that you attacked me over something so small-”

Swiftshadow cut the deputy off as he pushed off Reedwhisker’s throat and over the limp, but breathing cat. “As of right now, one more thing against me or Florashade, and you’ll be losing me from the Clan. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had just left instead of getting attacked and taken away.”

The brown warrior whipped around, flying away towards camp. Cherryflight and Streammoon had covered Sharkpaw’s ears, keeping him from hearing things that weren’t true about me. All of them looked astonished at the event that had just taken place, and it took them all a moment to realize that Reedwhisker was still on the ground.

Jet snorted and got to his paws. “Serve the mouse-brain right,” he sniffed.“Who Reedwhisker, the deputy?” I mewed.“Who else?” he growled. “That Swiftshadow fellow obviously knows that the

Clan isn’t doing great without you. Maybe he’ll leave and come to us as well.”“I wouldn’t count on that,” I replied, lowing my eyes to the ground.

“Swiftshadow is too dedicated to Riverclan to leave because of Reedwhisker’s opinions.”

“Were you not dedicated greatly to your Clan as well?”I shrugged, really not knowing how to answer. “When you feel torn between

freedom and loyalty to your Clan, it’s hard to say for me.”For the rest of the night, Jet led e around the forest, pointing out dangers,

such as fox and badger dens, berries that would kill you instantly, and Twoleg traps. There was danger every pawstep of the way through the trees, but we didn’t get hurt. We were even able to have some fun, jumping around each other, throwing moss balls….it felt great to just mess around and act like a kit again.

We stopped not far from camp to rest. Resting on our backs in clumps of long grasses, we were able to look out into the sky and watch the color of the air change from black to gray with other dawn colors. I hadn’t realized that we had been up all night, but I was definitely beginning to feel the effects of having no sleep for an entire night.

The colors of the leaves brightened above me, reminding me that leaf-fall was a few days to a moon away. “It was just a few days ago when I had left my Clan, and the leaves were still green,” I thought out loud. I turned my head and stared into the watching green eyes of Jet beside me. “Thankfully it’s still slightly warm out.”

The black tom rolled over onto his stomach and played with a small bug at his paws. “Unfortunately it won’t stay greenleaf like we all would want it to,” he muttered. “The cold of leaf-fall and leaf-bare bring death for all the Clans. It’ll be harder for Pureclan though,” he added with a sigh. “We are bigger than all the Clans put together, and with that many cats in one place, prey is harder to come by, and sickness is easily spread.”

“But you have your hunters gather food from all around the lake and here in our forest,” I pointed out. “Isn’t that more than enough territory to find enough food?”

“Not when it has to be shared with four other Clans,” Jet growled.“And sickness can be cured with herbs, can’t it?” I insisted.Jet turned his head angrily towards me. “Have you seen a healer in this

Clan?” he hissed, “because I sure haven’t.”

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I looked away, feeling a little hurt. “I could teach you some of the herbs I know,” I mewed under my breath.

I could feel the Pureclan leader relax beside me. “I’m sorry for snapping,” he whispered, licking my shoulder in apology. “I just fear that you’ll try and leave if it becomes too tough.”

I sighed with a shake of my head and gazed deeply into his eyes. “I won’t be going back to Riverclan for as long as I live,” I lied.

Chapter 18 Leader Mistystar-gray she-cat with blue eyesDeputy Reedwhisker- black tom with gold eyes



Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)Minnowtail- dark gray she-cat with green eyesPebblefoot- mottled gray tom with gold eyesApprentice- RainpawMallownose- light brown tabby tom with gold eyesPetalfur- gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyesApprentice- StormpawMintfur- light gray tabby tom with green eyesHollowflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesTroutstream- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesRushtail- light brown tabby tom with green eyesStreammoon- silver she-cat with gold-blue eyesWeedfrost- brown-and-white she-cat with green eyesRainclaw- gray tom with white paws and blue eyesSheerwind- white tom with ginger patches, gray paws and blue eyesGentlebreeze- blue-black she-cat with blue eyes and white tail tipSoulsong- blue-white she-cat with gray eyesBreezestorm- dark gray tom with green eyes

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Mudreed- brown tabby tom with green eyes Icewing- white she-cat with bright blue eyesFernpool- gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes; Rainclaw’s mateRobinwing- tortishell-and-white tom with amber eyesWhispersnow- gray she-cat with white patches and green eyesSwiftshadow- light brown, spotted, tom with green eyesCherryflight- gray she-cat with brown tail tip and blue eyesBrookstream- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyesBrownflare- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyesFlorashade- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyes; missingApprentices (kits more than six moons old, training to be warriors)Spottedpaw- golden, spotted, she-cat with gold eyes; healer apprenticeStormpaw- dark gray tom with white paws and green eyesRainpaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyesSharkpaw- gray-and-white tom with blue eyes and black tailQueens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)Brightsoul- white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes; nursing Reedwhisker’s kits: Blackkit, Shallowkit, Pearlkit, and BlizzardkitDuskfur- brown she-cat with green eyes; expecting Brownflare’s kitsElders (retired toms and she-cats) Grasspelt- light brown tom with gold eyes; old mate of Leopardstar and the father of Florapaw and SpottedpawMothwing- dappled, golden she-cat with gold eyes; old healer of RiverclanBlackclaw- smoky black tom with gold eyesGraymist- pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyesVoletooth- mall brown tabby tom with green eyesHalfwhisker- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, chest and belly, and scarred faceOthersFloss- gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes that lives at the HorseplaceSmoky- gray-and-white tom with green eyes that lives at the HorseplacePip- black-and-white, small dog that lives at the Horseplace

The sun shined brightly into the camp. A cold breeze lifted away any heat that had warmed the camp. I could tell that leaf-fall was on its way into the lake territories, and already Riverclan was in for a hard leaf-bare.

Mistystar’s sickness had gotten worse over the days since the battle against the rouges. Willowshine wouldn’t leave her side in fear of losing her, but I could already tell that our Clan’s healer only had a couple days left.

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“Spottedfern, bring me some more catmint,” Willowshine called from the leader’s den, poking her head outside. “Bring all of it and then go collect more afterwards.”

I nodded and got to my paws. In the tunnel of the healers’ den, Brightsoul’s kit Blizzardkit slept in a nest. He had a slight cold and Willowshine believed that he needed to be treated instantly so that it wouldn’t turn to greencough. If any of the kits caught greencough, they wouldn’t make it. They were only a couple days old, born on the day my sister had disappeared. They were lively, but Shallowkit reminded me of Halfwhisker, bad-tempered and keeping to herself, so she didn’t do as much as her siblings. I’d hoped that she would outgrow it with time.

I reached Willowshine’s den at the very end of the tunnel and sniffed around the hiding ledges for catmint. The overwhelming smell was unmistakable when my whiskers brushed against the soft leaves. I licked my paw and pressed down on the catmint leaves and then pulled them out onto my other paw. I lightly grabbed the leaves with my teeth and fell back to all my paws. Trotting through the tunnel, I checked Blizzardkit one last time before leaving the den.

Many cats watched as I carried the last of the catmint into Mistystar’s den. The Clan was becoming worried; they knew their leader was on her last life and that it was greencough that was going to kill her. If she hadn’t gone into battle against the rouges she’d probably still have two f her other lives, and she might’ve gotten over the sickness, but the warrior code stated that leader’s word is law, and her word was that she had wanted to fight with her Clan.

“Is that all there was left?” Willowshine exclaimed as I dropped the leaves at my mentor’s paws. “Never mind; I just want you to find a warrior and gather more catmint by the Horseplace. If there’s nothing ready to be picked, then just come home and we’ll just have to hope for the best.”

“I’ll try and hurry,” I promised as I left the den. I stopped outside the entrance searching the camp for a lazy warrior that could help me. I sighed when the only one available was Swiftshadow. He lay in a heap of pouting fur outside the warriors’ den, practically stationing himself there since he had done the midnight patrol with Reedwhisker, Cherryflight, Brookstream, and Sharkpaw. I had heard about the major argument between the deputy and the sulking warrior, but Reedwhisker did have one point: Swiftshadow needed to get over Florashade’s disappearance. She was my own sister and I wasn’t doing what the warrior in front of me was, but only because the Clan needed me.

Well the Clan needed him too; I needed him now. “You need to come with me and help bring home catmint for the Clan,” I mewed.

“Can’t you find somebody else?” he muttered, not moving his chin from his paws.

“No, because you are the only one not being very useful right now,” I growled. “You need to get over Florashade going missing and get back with your duties. At the moment, you are nothing but a burden to the Clan.”

Swiftshadow lifted his head, his eyes glistening with surprise and hurt. “How can you say that about your own sister?” he whispered. “You are just as bad as the rest of the cats here; nobody wants Florashade around, but I do. I will not give up on her; she will come home again one day.”

“It’s not that I don’t want her to come home,” I hissed. “It’s the fact that my Clan needs me, which means no sulking. The same should apply to you.”

Swiftshadow narrowed his eyes and sat up with a growl. “I will search for Florashade until the last breath from my body has gone,” he insisted.

“So while you do that and sulk, you are just going to watch and let your Clan die?” I snapped with a lash of my tail. “Never mind; you’re just wasting my time. If I don’t come home, you’ll know that it was your fault for not coming to help.”

I bounded away in anger. I knew that healers weren’t supposed to take part in Clan arguments, but instead bring peace, but Swiftshadow had been getting under everyone’s fur in the last few days. He didn’t realize that it was harder for me to accept the fact that I may never see my sister again because I wasn’t supposed to express it. All my sadness was meant to be locked away forever, only spoken of to my mentor if Willowshine willed me to do so. Already it was beginning to burn a shadow into my heart.

Cold moorland winds blasted my face and chest. Leaf-fall had arrived and chilled the lake territories at last, and soon, if I didn’t bring home enough catmint, there would be more illness. Prey had begun to disappear earlier into their burrows

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for the night as the sun set earlier each day. Golden, red, and brown leaves littered the ground and swirled in the air, riding the chilling winds. Leaf-bare wasn’t far behind, bringing the white snows from the mountains and the hardest season of them all.

At the Horseplace I slowed down and sat to catch my breath. Barn scents surrounded me, the smell of mice and horses coming from over the other side of the white fence. I caught small barks from the small Twoleg dog beyond the fence, thankfully locked up in his home. At times the dog would get lose, and any cat outside of camp would have to run for cover or face the dog.

My eyes snapped to an area of the fence where it was broken near the bottom. Gray-and-white streaked through the shadows under the trees growing on the other side of the fence, blocking the face of the sneaker. The shape of the creature was cat, and that set my fur on edge. What was I going to do if it was a Pureclan cat and he saw me?

He wasn’t going t see me first; I was going to be the first to give the cat the surprise of his life. Sticking to the shadows, I skirted against the fence and stopped a rabbit hop away from the tom cat. He was crouched low, searching the territory for something; maybe a cat to attack or steal for his Clan? Well this cat was about to go home empty pawed.

With a yowl escaping my mouth, I jumped the tom. The gray-and-white cat started and began running back towards the fence, only to run into me. I pushed the gray-and-white tom to the ground, pinning the plump tom under me. He struggled to get free, but he was held tightly down.

I had a good look at the tom’s face now, and I knew I had made a horrible mistake. It was Smoky, the barn cat that lived on the other side of the fence with his mate Floss. His older mate, Daisy, and his kits lived in Thunderclan, only seeing this tom going to Gatherings at times.

I leaped back, away from the spitting, furious tom. “Smoky, I apologize for attacking you,” I mewed shyly. “I thought you were an evil Pureclan cat plotting to attack someone.”

The gray-and-white tom snorted and padded up to me with anger lacing his eyes. “You Clan cats are always jumping to conclusions aren’t ye?” he growled in good-humor. Thankfully his anger was dying away into understanding. “What are you doing out here with those cats prowling around anyway?”

“I’m here to collect some catmint for my Clan,” I rushed, racing over to the clearing of the Horseplace. This was the first part of the territories that the Clan cats had stepped on when they had first arrived here from the Great Journey. “My leader is sick with greencough, and if I don’t bring as much as I can home, more cats will fall ill and die.”

“There’s plenty on the other side of the fence I could gather for ya,” Smoky offered.

“That would be great, Smoky, thank you,” I purred.The gray-and-white tom whipped around and disappeared through the

fence’s broken bottom. I sat in the shadows, hidden from any wandering eyes of predators and other cats. I felt unprotected as I waited alone for Smoky to return. What was taking him so long? It felt like forever since he had left me, yet it was only a few moments. My fur was standing on end, and I was becoming jumpy more with every small sound I heard.

Finally Smoky was squeezing through the hole in the fence, more catmint than I had seen in the last few days in his jaws. The gray-and-white trotted over and set the precious herbs down at my paws. “I hope that’s enough for your Clan,” he mewed.

“It’s more than enough, thank you!” I purred, grabbing the leaves up in my jaws. I waved my tail in good-bye to Smoky as he continued his hunting outside the fence. I hoped he would find what he was looking for and I prayed that Starclan would be with him if he got in any trouble.

I burst into the camp and was hit with grief, guilt and sadness. Most of the Clan was crowded before the leader’s den; heads bowed low, tails still and curled around their paws, I could tell there was something terribly wrong. I weaved arund my sullen Clanmates, searching for Willowshine. I found her near the entrance to the den, Reedwhisker beside her.

I dropped the catmint at my mentor’s paws. “What happened?” I asked quietly so not to disturb the silence in the camp.

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“Mistystar has left us to join the ranks of Starclan,” she muttered. “The greencough had weakened her too much for her to hold on.”

“I’m sure she’s happy and healthy watching over us,” I reassured her. My mentor almost looked as if this was the end for our Clan. “The Clan will be able to go on just like before, just with another set of eyes guiding it.”

“You are a true healer at heart, Spottedfern,” Willowshine purred unevenly.A small squeak sounded from behind me. We all turned our heads to find

Blackkit and Pearlkit tumbling over each other and to the front of the gathered Clan. The kits stopped at my paws, their mother chasing quietly behind.

Blackkit rolled onto his stomach, and looked into my eyes. “Is Reedwhisker our leader now?” he squeaked.

“Of course he is!” Grasspelt exclaimed. “He was deputy after all, and as the warrior code states-”

“The deputy will always become leader,” Blackclaw grumbled. “Do you ever shut up about the warrior code? We all know it by heart already, you daft furball.”

“Everyone, silence, please,” Reedwhisker called as he bounded up the Riverrock. “We shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves under the eyes of a fallen Clanmate and leader. We will mourn Mistystar, and say what we must before her spirit disappears into Starclan forever. First I need to ask for a border patrol.”

Brookstream stepped forward. “I’ll lead it,” she offered.“Good, and take five others with you,” Reedwhisker mewed with a nod.

Brookstream raced away and circled her Clanmates to make up a patrol. The black deputy faced me and added, “Are you up for a journey to the Moonpool, Spottedfern?”

My eyes widened in surprise. “What about Willowshine?”“Your mentor needs some rest,” he replied, getting to his paws. “She’s been

with Mistystar since this morning, and been working her paws off.”“I’ll be glad to come with you, Reedwhisker,” I agreed.The black tom stepped up to my side and together we began padding to the

camp entrance. Brookstream was heading to the other entrance with her patrol of Pebblefoot and his apprentice Rainpaw, Troutstream, Minnowtail, and Robinwing. Suddenly a hiss escaped from the patrol, making Reedwhisker and I whip around in wonder.

“Enemies, attack!” Brookstream alerted the camp with a yowl. The patrol leaped away from the entrance as a black tom emerged from the entrance, his piercing green eyes watching each warrior in the camp. He flicked his tail and more cats filed in, surrounding the edges of the camp and around their leader. Last of all, a spotted pelt flashed out from behind the black tom, her face showing no fear or concern for who she was attacking.

I crouched low and covered my eyes, whimpering, “Florashade, no, how could you?”

Chapter 19Seeing the surprise in my Clanmates eyes as they saw me enter the camp

behind Jet was the hardest thing for me. Back in the Pureclan, there had been

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argues breaking out because they found out about Jet and I becoming mates. None were happy with their leader’s decision, but he was able to distract them by saying Pureclan was going to attack Riverclan, and where I would prove whether I was loyal or not. Could I throw myself into this battle and ever earn the respect I once had from my Clanmates back? Could I even let myself face Swiftshadow or Spottedfern if I approached them?

Brookstream had sounded the alarm to the rest of the Clan, and already my old Clanmates were protecting the nursery and elders’ den. Swiftshadow was nowhere in sight, I was hoping that my sister was safely inside the healers’ den with Willowshine. Mistystar would strangle me is she saw what I was doing, but I couldn’t find her among her Clan. Instead, I was met with the dark eyes of hatred from Reedwhisker.

Jet called for attack and lunged into battle, his Clan following closely behind. Silently, I apologized to Starclan for what I was doing and leaped into battle. With my claws sheathed, I landed on the back of Weedfrost. The brown-and-white she-cat yowled in fear and started shaking me, but my greater weight was beginning to slow her down to the ground. Finally, her thinner body gave out and her legs fell out from beneath her. I dropped my legs out around her before she hit the ground so I wouldn’t crush her and seriously hurt her.

I was glad that Jet had decided to leave Scar and Bosco back in the camp to guard it with Beamer. Scar had been keeping a close eye on me since he had brought me into Pureclan’s camp, but after finding out that Jet chose me for a mate, he probably had eyes among the fighters watching me closely. To make it look like I really did my best at beating down the older warrior, I swiped out a paw and cuffed Weedfrost on the ear, keeping my claws carefully sheathed. Before she could get up and retaliate, I bounded away from the older warrior.

Turning my eyes back to in front of me, I gasped and skidded to a halt as Grasspelt stood before me. “What do you think you are doing?” he yelled, rearing back on his frail hind legs, his balance shaky. “You’ll be cleaning out the elders’ den for moons!”

I rolled me eyes; like I was scared to clean out the elders’ for one. “What makes you think I’m coming home?” I countered. Bunching up my muscles, I head-butted into my father’s skinny stomach, all the while hoping that my counter attack wouldn’t end up hurting the elder too bad. He let out a grunt as he fell to the ground before I could even touch him. With a snort as Bucky raced past with watching eyes, I placed a firm paw on my father’s throat.

“You wouldn’t dare kill me,” Grasspelt gasped as he stared fearfully into my eyes.

“No, I wouldn’t because it’s just not me,” I replied. Leaning down close to his ear, I added, “Just stay out of my way and understand what I’m doing is for the good of Riverclan.” Pushing him away from me, I stalked to the edge of the camp’s clearing and searched for someone I could completely trust to listen to me. Withercloud fought in the center of the camp against Divaheart, Wasp and Cudo. Stormpaw raced in with teeth bared, trying to be brave until Cudo bared his sharp, glistening fangs at the new apprentice. Stormpaw scurried away before Cudo could launch an attack on him, only to be stopped by Frosty. I could see from where I was hiding that the white she-cat held kindness in her eyes, and she lightly just batted the apprentice away.

While my attention was on the battle in the camp, someone came up from behind and rolled me to the ground. We fell between the healers’ den the Riverrock, landing blow on each other. My opponent never understood that my claws were sheathed while the enemy tore into my fur. Finally, I was able to push the cat off me with my hind legs and fling her at the edge of the lake, water lapping at the spotted pelt that splashed into it.

My sister struggled to her paws, muscles rippling under her thickening coat. Her eyes bore into me as I made my way into hiding behind the healers’ den, where I was hoping to talk with her in secret. I sat down in the shadows, watching my sister stare at me cautiously.

“You should know I would never hurt you, Spottedpaw,” I reminded her, as she crouched defensively in the shadows.

“It’s Spottedfern now,” she hissed with a lash of her tail. “And what are thinking? Yo get captured and don’t even fight to get a way home? Is there something I’m missing here?”

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“Since I was taken into Pureclan,” I started, “I have met a large group of cats that really don’t want to be there. Many of them were stolen from other Clans, some from the time of the Great Journey, maybe even sooner. They need my help to escape.”

“And whose side are you even on right now?” Spottedfern growled, her muscles relaxing a little. “I just watched you attack two of your Clanmates already.”

“And were they harmed in any way?” I pointed out. “When you treat the wounded, maybe you’ll believe me if you ask if I hurt them in any way.”

Spottedfern stared me down, but I held my gaze without flinching. “I’m listening, Florashade,” she admitted, blinking her eyes slowly as she padded over to my side.

I purred with relief and tried to touch her with my nose, but she shied away. I didn’t completely have her trust just yet. “For starters, these cats that need my help are my denmates in Pureclan. They are outcasts in the Clan is what I’m thinking, allowed only to stay if they hunt for the fighters and then for themselves. These cats are miserable, mistreated, and are unwanted by Pureclan; they only stay for protection or are there by force.”

“And how in the name of Starclan do you think you can help them without becoming one yourself?”

“By earning the trust of their leader,” I replied, lifting my head. Stage one of my plan was already in motion.

“Ha, and how do you expect to do that?” she laughed. “That cat is ruthless, just like the rest of them. He’s not going to fall for any of your tricks, Florashade.”

“He already has,” I purred, with a successful twitch of my tail. “Jet trusts me so much that he even asked for me to become his mate.”

Spottedfern fell back with a surprise and snarled, “Are you crazy? What ever happened between you and Swiftshadow? He thinks you’re dead and here you are mating with some evil cat trying to kill your Clan.”

I sighed, finding this to be harder than I thought. Battle raged on the other side of the den, the screeches of two Clans of my Clanmates colliding with blows of claws, and snaps of teeth. I had to make this quick and easy to understand.

“I’m planning on training those that wish to leave,” I began with a shaky breath. “I will teach them everything I know so that they can fight back and be free. Now, I need to get back into the battle so I can keep Pureclan’s trust right now. Stay out of the fighting, Spottedfern; I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Swerving my ears back, I yowled and leaped back into the clearing of the camp.

I sprang at an upcoming cat ready to attack Raven. I never noticed it was Swiftshadow until I had thrown him to the ground and pinned him by the throat. I stared into his eyes, fear rising in the deep gold of his, only to be clouded over with sorrow. My claws dug around his paws, his fur unkempt and dull, looking dusty in the sunlight.

“Where have you been?” he whispered, going limp under my weight. “I’ve been so worried.”

My tail lashed out, making it look like I was angry. I lowered my head close to his ear and mewed, “Meet me by the bushes where the Pureclan scent disappears, tomorrow night. I will tell you everything then.” Not waiting for another word from Swiftshadow, I pushed off the tom, pressuring him into the sandy ground. As I leaped away from him, I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

As Riverclan and Pureclan fought, the numbers uneven, I searched the clearing for Jet. I spotted the pitch black tom near the edge of the camp by the entrance heading towards Windclan’s territory. Jet had another black cat pinned underneath him, his paw raised ready to strike a dangerous blow. I stood there, watching silently as cats flashed by, blocking my view as Jet finished with Reedwhisker. When the two cats battling left my sight, Jet was gone, leaving Reedwhisker bleeding dangerously on the ground.

I raced forward, rounding a pair of fighters as they attacked Breezestorm, the gray tom lashing out with powerful attacks with his paws. I reached the black deputy, dust piling on my pelt from all the shuffling in the sandy camp. I looked down, the black tom breathing heavily, his eyes closed, his side bleeding from deep scratch wounds.

“Reedwhisker, are you okay?” I mewed, prodding the tom on his shoulder with my paw. He moaned and his eyes flicked open. He lifted his head, his eyes gazing out into the clearing, watching as his Clan fought their hardest, only to be

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getting pushed back. Finally his green eyes settle on me, and his reaction changed instantly.

“Traitor, get away from me!” he hissed, lunging forward with a paw swiping out at me. I ducked away from his blow, backing away in surprise.

Then I remembered why I was doing what I was doing. “I only left because of you!” I yowled, lifting a paw in the air. Reedwhisker cringed in fear, but never attacked. He was already too weak after Jet had attacked him. Without stopping, I brought my paw slamming down on the deputy’s face, and sent him back to the ground. He whimpered in pain as blood starting pooling on his cheek; I hadn’t even realized that I had used my claws, but it had felt good all the same.

Jet gave the sound of retreat, nothing but a yowl breaking all the cats apart. “These cats have learned their lesson for now,” he announced, leaping n top of the apprentice’s training rock. Riverclan was beginning to back away as all the Pureclan cats gathered in front of Jet in a protective block. I crept silently into the group, keeping to the shadows. “Let’s go home, but be warned Riverclan: Pureclan isn’t finished with you or the other lake Clans yet.” His warning echoing on the breeze in camp, Jet leaped away, his skinny black tail trailing behind him. His Clanmates followed, flowing together as one like a river behind their leader. I stayed near the back of the patrol, only to stop at the entrance to the camp before leaving.

Turning to my pleading Clanmates, I mewed loudly, “For the answers you seek, go see Spottedfern.” Before I met any eyes of those I’ve led into confusion of my leave, I darted through the ravaged camp entrance and raced after Pureclan. Gorse waited just outside the camp and trotted beside me as we disappeared back into the bushes that marked our border.

With the rest of the Clan out of earshot, Gorse asked, “So did you set up your meeting with Swiftshadow tomorrow night?” Her fur brightened under the streaks of moonlight that sparkled through the branches of the trees, and her eyes glowed with sadness.

I nodded my head and purred. “I just hope he doesn’t think he was dreaming,” she chuckled with a wave of her tail. Boris, a cream-and-brown tom slowed his pace and trotted beside Gorse.

“But how are you going to get out of camp with all the guards?” he pointed out.

“I’m sure I can leave without being spotted,” I mewed confidently. With my nose in the air, I went and tripped over a tree root growing out of the ground and fell chest first onto the ground. “Ufff.”

Before any other cat heard my clumsy fall, Gorse and Boris helped me to my paws. “You okay?” Gorse asked, taking her tail and swiping it down the length of my pelt to remove the dust and leaves on my pelt.

I snorted and shook my pelt before walking on, Gorse staying by my side, while Boris raced away to catch up with the Pureclan patrol. “I just had a stumble,” she purred with a chuckle. “And to Boris’ question, I have a plan to get out of camp… I hope.”

Gorse stopped and stared at me just outside the camp. “What is on your mind now?”

I sighed and moved away from the possible wandering ears from inside the camp entrance. “I’m going to tell Jet I’m going hunting with you, and he’ll hopefully tell the guards to let us go.”

The queen’s eyes widened. “You want me to come with you… even though he may try to kill me?” She lowered herself to the ground as if saying no.

“Swiftshadow is a kind, and reasonable cat,” I reassured her. “A friend of mine will be a friend of his.” I remembered the way Swiftshadow had looked earlier. He didn’t look like he was in any state to fight anyone at all. He had looked stripped of life, stripped of purpose, and even in the heart of battle he came to me instead of helping his Clanmates. Nothing meant more to him than I did, even though I remembered all the times he seemed to have hated me when I had been just a kit.

Gorse went on ahead and disappeared into camp. I soon followed, and came upon cats with many dangerous injuries. With realization, I found that the only reason why Pureclan always won their battles was because of the high number of cats they had, not because of their skills. She had seen the way Pureclan fought, and it was nothing like her Clan. She needed to teach the right cats her skills, and she had to do it soon to free the ones forced to stay.

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“What’s on your mind Flora?” Jet mewed, jerking me back to the camp. I turned my head to the black tom standing just beside the entrance. With a loving purr, I coiled around him, stopping to lick his injured shoulder.

“Just thinking about how great it was to attack those who pretty much rejected me from Riverclan,” I lied slyly. “I never thought I would’ve been able to bring myself to do it, but I surprised myself.”

Jet looked deep into my eyes as I leaned into his night black fur. “I had complete faith in you,” he purred, twining his tail with mine. “I had watched you attack three cats through the whole battle, who were they?”

With a pang of hurt, she went back to the battle. “My sister Spottedfern, the healer apprentice,” I started. “My father, Grasspelt, who said I was betraying Riverclan. And there was Swiftshadow, my old mate before I left and found someone better.” I closed my eyes as I pressed harder against Jet, not in content, but trying to hide the hurt in my eyes.

“And the deputy, Reedwhisker is it?” he added.I nodded, looking away. I could feel the anger towards the deputy burning my

eyes. “When I saw him, I had thought you had killed him, but when I came close enough he was alive and tried to attack me. He called me a traitor to the Clan, and I told him I left because of him.” She breathed in some clean air into her lungs. “When I attacked him afterwards, I had never felt so alive.”

Jet rasped his tongue gently over my torn ear. “I’m very proud of you,” he purred. “After seeing you attack those that you had once loved most, I believe you can be completely trusted here in Pureclan. I trust that I will see you continue your loyalty to the Clan that took you in, and in return you shall be given the freedom to go where you wish, when you wish, without my permission.”

Still staring the ground, a dark smile grew on my face. To hide my smirk, I leaped around and hugged him with my front paws around his neck, purring louder than ever before. “I knew you’d see me through. I won’t make you doubt me one second,” I promised with a cross of my front paws. Since he couldn’t see them, Jet never would guess that I hadn’t really meant it.

When nightfall came, I fetched Gorse to go hunting. We passed the guards at the entrance to the camp and nodded good-bye as we exited. Jet had spoke with the Clan earlier in the day and told the Clan that I was beyond trustworthy and that I was free to do whatever. Scar and Bosco didn’t look convinced but they had to listen to their leader.

“So what is Swiftshadow like?” Gorse asked, breaking the silence as we walked calmly down the path to the bush border.

“He’s like the new spring air: calm, soothing, relaxing, loving, caring, stealthy… everything I had always wanted in a mate,” I answered remembering all the good times I had had with him before disappearing.

We said nothing afterwards, and when we didn’t see Swiftshadow at the bushes by moonrise, we decided to hunt. We had gathered enough prey for ten cats by the time we returned the bushes at moonhigh.

As we munched on a couple mice, Gorse fretted, “So he’s a good cat and won’t hurt anyone that doesn’t pose a threat? I have nothing to worry about right?”

His scent hit me before I even heard him speak. “Don’t be too sure about that,” he growled. We jumped to our paws, but I couldn’t see him, not until he spoke again and I caught a glint from his gold eyes in the shadow of the trees. “Who is she anyways?”

The moon moved out from behind a cloud and shined into the forest. It brightened the shadows and showed Swiftshadow coming towards us. I sighed with relief when I saw no wounds penetrating his dull, but clean pelt. I couldn’t resist a purr, and trotted up to him and reached forward to nuzzle his cheek with my nose. He pulled away, leaving my heart to break, and I could see the hurt forming in my eyes in the reflection of his.

“My sister told you about my plan, didn’t she?” I muttered, looking at the ground.

“You bet she told me,” he growled with a lash of his thick tail. “You’ve got some plan going there, rouge.”

I flinched, gritting my teeth at what he called me. “I’m still a Riverclan cat at heart,” I growled in my defense. “And this plan is supposed to be freeing the lives forced into the darkness of the walkers of the Dark Forest.”

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“How are you going to free yourself?” he snapped. “I heard what you’ve done. What ever happened to me being in your life?” I bowed my head and stared at the ground. He was right to be mad… I replaced him with Jet, and I was actually happy with the Pureclan leader.

“Don’t blame me, okay?” I hissed, searching his eyes for any sort of the old Swiftshadow I once knew. “If it wasn’t for Reedwhisker hating me so much, I wouldn’t be in this situation right now! To add to it, if it wasn’t for him, these cats wouldn’t have my help right now. I’m the only one that can help them fight like us, against-”

“Riverclan?” he interrupted, finishing my sentence entirely wrong. “I thought you loved your Clan above everything else… and your family, Clanmates, me… but we were all wrong. This evening Reedstar held a meeting after getting back from the Moonpool about the attack and your betrayal to the Clan. You are wanted dead, Florashade.”

I took a step back. “Reedstar?” I exclaimed, a little taken aback. “Mistystar can’t be dead! She was fine when we left on patrol that morning I went missing.”

He shook his head and sighed, eyes on his paws. “Greencough and age sent her happily to Starclan. While she was dying she wanted you to come to her den, and we finally had to tell her that you were missing. I wouldn’t be surprised if her worry for you hadn’t helped kill her.”

Swiftshadow shook a paw before washing it and continuing. “Now, about your plan…” He got to his paws and started pacing before me. “You are teaching these miserable cats our ways of fighting, giving away our strengths and weaknesses. When they trained enough to your liking, you are then taking them into battle against their own Clanmates. How’s that going to fair?”

Gorse stood up and stopped Swiftshadow’s pacing. “Listen, warrior,” she hissed. Swiftshadow’s fur on his neck started to rise as Gorse came closer, but he realized that she wasn’t any kind of threat and relaxed. “The only cats that we are helping are the ones that were taken from their Clans and from Twolegplace by force, which is many. I was taken from Windclan myself.” She looked over her shoulder and gave me a nod for me to continue.

Taking a big breath, I mewed, “About the mate thing with Jet. I had to do it in order for him to trust me enough to train all these cats. As you saw at the battle-”

He stopped me there with a paw of unsheathed claws. “Don’t even talk about the battle, okay?” he growled, his teeth bared threatening. “Because of your new Clan, Troutstream is dead!”

Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22

5 days out of 30

Reminder!!! Briarlight will come back from Starclan with Grasspelt, they will fall in love, and have kits together. Dovewing and Bumbleflight have kits. I always thought Toadstep would be good if Ivypool took a mate. As for kits, how about:Mistkit: grey and white she-cat,(Mistbreeze?)Ravenkit: black and white tom, (Ravenfrost?)and Bluekit: blue-grey she-cat, (Bluewing?)

warriors: last clan part 1: the darkness...

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